Variegated Christmas
by Child at Heart Forever
Summary: Every Smasher has their own take on Christmas, and no two are ever quite alike, like snowflakes of the winter's first snow. There's a whole spectrum on what the holidays are all about! The meaning of Christmas...it's different for everybody, you know? (For Smash King24's Christmas Contest 2014- Placed in Second!)
1. Pink

**Different Smashers covered in each chapter; all different takes on the meaning of Christmas, but they're all connected. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><em><span>~Variegated Christmas~<span>_

**~Pink~**

It was no secret that the fighters in the Smash Stadium treated the holidays just a little bit differently from one another. Some were fully in the spirit, plenty were grumpy as usual, and many didn't even know what the season was for. All they knew was that there was suddenly a tree in their midst and decorations spontaneously decked the halls.

And that's when Peach swooped in.

She was already perky enough during the regular months, being one of the few Smashers to keep a smile plastered on her face even in the midst of battle, but it's like she became _extra_ obligated to be happy when the holidays rolled around. When the end of November transformed into the beginning of December, she was already writing cards, humming Christmas tunes, and of course, throwing herself into her life's dedication of baking treats. Peach was the one person you couldn't complain about being overly cheery; her singing voice could cure the deaf and not one person had a bad thing to say about her cooking.

She also made it her mission to spread cheer to those who couldn't spread it to themselves. Whether it was because they hadn't a clue about the traditions or because they took longer to get into a festive mood, it didn't matter to Peach. Each and every day of the month, Smashers would have a gift waiting outside their rooms, ranging from sugar cookies to small worthwhile trinkets. The reason Peach did so was because it guaranteed a smile, no matter who the Smasher, and who pouted about free stuff?

None entirely understood Peach's methods, but that was perfectly fine with her, although she was secretly upset that her petition to get a pink tree had fallen through. Only Kirby signed it, and it had been a rather chicken scratch signature. Still, that never deterred her, and she found herself incorporating her favorite color into something much more important:_ icing_.

"Princess, it's Christmas time," she'd been asked, watching as Peach covered various cookies and cakes with her pink frosting. "Wouldn't red be a more suitable color?"

Peach huffed at the ignorant question, but her smile didn't falter as she finished her batch and began to arrange them on the plate.

"…anyone can do that," the princess finally retorted. "Red and green is so overdone…pink frosting is how I put a bit of _me_ into my treats, you know? It's how I make them special."

And no more argument was needed.

Although, Peach didn't do it for the presentation; she liked watching the looks of joy as Smashers bit into her creations and got that sensation of flavor just as much as she liked making them. After all, where's the joy in crafting if no one appreciated it? But beyond that, since she knew everyone liked what she brought to life…there was nothing she enjoyed more than giving them away. Christmas time was the only time when she could do that without being questioned on her generosity, though it baffled Peach why being nice was only so important once a year…

But that was why she loved it so. For her, Christmas meant pleasant unexpected surprises, and as she passed off one of her fresh baked cookies to a bypassing Jigglypuff, Peach had a feeling this holiday wouldn't be too much different.

. . .

Jigglypuff wasn't too big on the holiday herself; she did partake in the receiving of gifts and the plethora of activities, but what made the holidays special for her…was how she got to sing to her heart's content.

Everyone was aware of Jigglypuff's affinity for song- but unlike Peach, hers had the unfortunate side effect of putting many to sleep, which always upset the pink Pokemon. In battle it was a good thing, but Jigglypuff was seldom chosen to participate. Thus, she wandered the halls of the stadium quite often, belting out her tunes in hopes someone would hum along like many did with Peach…only to find them collapsed in snores at the sounds or sprinting away like their lives depended on it.

All Jigglypuff wanted was for someone to listen…

During the holidays, she learned of this tradition called "caroling", where one went around sharing a few verses of classic Christmas carols, and those chosen to listen HAD to out of respect. This was more than what Jigglypuff could hope for, so once Christmastime rolled around, she was already prepping her voice for the occasion. Finally, she'd be able to share her gift of song like she longed for!

Her start…had been rough. She went around everyone's room, waiting until someone answered and simply began to sing. Naturally, everyone acted as they did normally, and Jigglypuff was acquainted with _many_ doors to the face. Jigglypuff was hurt, but she wouldn't give up. She'd find a way.

And she did…in the form of a Christmas choir.

Joining the group was risky, seeing as she feared that those nearly complete strangers would flee at the sight of her, but once she showcased her voice for the angelic sound that it was, she found herself welcomed with open arms, and no one had fallen asleep. Overjoyed, Jigglypuff practiced day and night to perfect her song, as there would be a recital in only a few days' time…

When the day came, Jigglypuff was perfectly calm, and not the slightest hint of nervousness showed on her features. She was far too happy for any negative emotions, and her reflection beamed back at her in the mirror as she properly adjusted her festive pink flower on her head. When she felt she was ready, she drifted out of her dressing room and into the cold night air, where her fellow choir mates were already in position. A small crowd had gathered in the few chairs that had been set up- fine with Jigglypuff. Any audience would do. Once everyone and everything was in place, the conductor rose his baton, and the choir began to sing.

While Jigglypuff couldn't articulate the words to the song, she knew the melody by heart, and could recreate its pitch, speed, and tempo exactly. She sang her little heart out like never before, putting her all behind every note she belted out. Jigglypuff wanted all present to know just how much singing meant to her, and if Christmastime had to be when she could express that freely, then she would make every moment count.

As she came down from a solo and the song ended, Jigglypuff took a graceful bow, although it wasn't met with the uproarious applause she'd been expecting. Glancing up, she discovered that the _choir itself_ had dozed off at their own song, along with the conductor and all the patrons…!

Tears welled up in Jigglypuff's eyes with the fear that no one would ever appreciate her talent…until she glanced into the front row, the weak sound of soft clapping in her ears.

The only one still awake in the audience was Kirby, who was clapping his stubby little hands together as he gave her a much deserved standing ovation.

. . .

People mistook Kirby's love of Christmas for a love of its food much too often. Okay, _yeah_, Kirby LOVED the feast that usually came hand in hand with Christmas and its eve, but that's not ALL Kirby cared about. He was slightly more competent than that.

Kirby was aware that not everyone led a happy life, and therefore wouldn't be nearly as pumped up about the holidays as others. People had lost family and been robbed of happy holiday moments with them, others simply had more pressing issues to worry about than decorating a tree or buying presents, and even Kirby himself wasn't ALL sunshine and rainbows- fighting demonic bloody eyeballs or being betrayed by devious creatures seeking personal gain could ruin anybody.

Kirby was special in his ability to remain ignorant.

His sometimes rival sometimes mentor Meta Knight had seen many tragedies of war, and not even during the holidays could he bear to shed the burden and let himself smile for once. Samus remained stoic as always, if not a touch colder than usual, because the holidays reminded her of lost parents. Robin himself was constantly fretting over how Ylisse was faring in his absence, although he tried to mask his anxiety.

Kirby attempted to get them, and those like them, to just _let go_ during the holidays. Not forever, but just long enough to let themselves be happy for even a few moments…like they deserved.

But Kirby couldn't exactly do much. He tried giving out cards once, but him writing words on paper was like trying to get Meta Knight to take off his mask. He tried passing out candy canes…but he got hungry and ate them before even giving away the first one. He even tried crafting some paper snowflakes to be festive, but alas, scissors only came in "Left-handed" and "Right-handed"…and not "For Kirby".

But Kirby was too optimistic to let a lack of fingers stop him. For him, Christmas was when everyone could be ignorant of their problems temporarily, in return for having a time where everyone could smile at the same time. Preferably at the dinner table, but Kirby wasn't picky.

The sources of sadness he came across were just so varied, though! Kirby was unable to do general small things, yet there was no way he could cater to each and every individual issue. Others being sad also made Kirby sad, and when Kirby was sad, his thoughts weren't nearly as colorful and fun as he wanted them to be. He pondered this carefully as he watched some of the less spirited Smashers drift by, trying to rack his brain for any solution…yet inspiration wasn't smiling on him that day.

It wasn't until he heard crying did anything change. Alerted to the sound, Kirby darted from his seat and hurried towards it as fast as his feet could carry him. Eventually, the search took him to the foot of the staircase, where he found Lucina dabbing at her eyes. She'd been trying to hide this fact from the others, but after seeing Kirby, a few more tears leaked down her cheeks. Lucina was reeling with the fact that this would be another time spent away from her father; another time spent away from family…and coming from a forsaken future already eclipsed her of that. Here she was dealing with it again.

Kirby stared at her blankly, knowing that he couldn't magically make Chrom appear or whisk Lucina home for the holidays…but there was one thing he knew he could do to even vaguely attempt to make her feel better, and he definitely didn't need hands for it.

He bounced over, wrapped his stubby arms around her, and gave her a hug.

That small moment of comfort was more than what Lucina could have asked for, as she quickly returned the gesture and briskly thanked Kirby for it before heading off to properly dry her eyes…with a reassured smile. And suddenly, Kirby knew just what to do.

Anyone who bore witness to it would claim that there was pink ball rolling around the halls of the stadium and radically plowing into people for no reason. But there _was_ a reason, and there certainly was a rhythm to it. Anyone who'd been even the least bit sad earned a comforting hug from Kirby, as that was all he could give…but that was all they needed, whether some realized it or not.

Robyn, having the same concerns as her male counterpart, practically melted in Kirby's pink embrace once it was offered. A grouchy Samus by the fire had become a defrosted woman who was no longer feeling lonely after receiving a hug. Even Meta Knight, who was a bit stunned to find his occasional apprentice and consistent sparring partner actually showing affection, couldn't help but return the gesture. He wasn't exactly skipping down the halls after that…but knowing that someone cared had uplifted the knight's spirits considerably.

Kirby couldn't have asked for better- he was working magic with these hugs! He even handed one to Shulk, looking surprisingly downcast himself, and carried on his merry way. Finally, Kirby had found a way to get people to smile, without a need for material objects or anything remotely fancy. Sometimes all we needed was an unexpected hug from those we care about.

Actually, Kirby realized that he needed those hugs for himself too.

. . .

Shulk was a rather friendly guy, having plenty of excellent teammates who he bonded with back home, and making plenty more during his stay in the Smash Stadium. And yet, his tendency to be a bit of a shut-in came back full swing during the holiday season, as he threw himself into several books to hopefully familiarize himself with the concept of "Christmas". His preferred learning method was to _read_ about the topic at hand, and he certainly liked his research!

Shulk found himself laughing, crying, and gasping in awe at a variety of classic seasonal tales; some about snowmen, some about reindeer, but all of them having a different take on the specific holiday in question. The wielder of the Monado stroked his chin thoughtfully- just what WAS this Christmas Spirit? Could it be defined? Was there a concrete meaning behind it? Shulk had to find out.

He borrowed many books on the subject from Zelda and spent huge amounts of time trying to discover his answer. Many knocked on his door and tried to get him to come out, but Shulk's quest for knowledge kept him glued to the books. Yet the pages of words and paragraphs never gave him a solid verification- a time for giving? Good will toward men? When commercialism hit an all time high…?! Was it everything yet none of that at once?!

A few Smashers started to get a little worried about Shulk, as his answerless question was beginning to drive him a bit batty. Some even claimed to find him twitching as he slurped down hot cocoa. This was eventually rectified when Shulk had shut himself in once again, and the Smashers had sent in a secret weapon to go in after him.

Riki.

Shulk hadn't even heard the door open, but when Riki's Biter clamped down on him, he REALLY felt that. Yelping and springing out of his seat, he rubbed his arm and glowered curiously at his Nopon friend, who was shaking his fists and puffing his pink little cheeks out.

"What is Shulk _doing_?!" Riki boomed, almost like he was going to explode. "Riki not know much about this "Christmas", but even Riki know it's not a time to be alone…!"

Shulk's eyes softened a little at Riki's words; he was right…

In all the books Shulk had poured through, one thing had been absolutely consistent…and that was the fact that not a single person had been alone for the holidays. Whether it was pictures of large groups or two people spending time together, it was clear to Shulk that it was definitely a time to be spent with other people…and something to be experienced, rather than simply read about.

Suddenly experiencing a change of heart, Shulk unexpectedly scooped Riki up off the ground and coddled him –"Heropon Riki is_ not_ cuddly doll! Down, friend Shulk!"- and bolted out of his room, hoping that it wasn't too late. Shulk tried to make up for lost time by blessing every friendly face with a "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Holidays!", but the majority were simply pleased that Shulk was out and about again. Mario asked Shulk if he wanted to join in on a snowball fight that was happening, and Shulk was more than happy to agree.

The Christmas Spirit…was just something you had to feel. And finally, Shulk was_ really_ feeling it.


	2. Red

**~Red~**

For Mario, Christmas was a very stressful time. One would think this would be the one time he'd get to kick back and relax, but they were _far_ off the mark. Being the natural born leader he was, Mario found himself saddled with task after task without even realizing it. What began as simply hanging up stockings suddenly turned into a crusade to go chop down the stadium's latest Christmas tree. Pitching in for a single present evolved into a fiasco with wrapping paper and several rolls of ribbon. Not to mention keeping Bowser from kidnapping Peach…and taking her to the mistletoe.

Needless to say, Mario couldn't catch a break.

Every year Mario swore he sprouted gray hairs, and just once did he wish he could be as a carefree as some of the others. As he plugged away at the list of jobs he received, he watched as the Villager and Toon Link ran through the halls, laughing their heads off at some game they were playing. And of course Sonic had to swing around with that sarcastic grin, mocking Mario with nothing more than a knowing look before darting off again.

Mario worked himself to the bone during Christmas, pushing so hard for the sake of others until he was utterly red in the face.

But despite all the hardships Christmas placed upon him, there was one thing Mario could always look forward to. After all, being the leader wasn't always such a bad thing! The tree he'd dragged in from the forest was now standing tall in the center area, decorated on every branch with tinsel, lights, and ornaments that properly represented everyone's worlds. Everyone, in a way, got to put a piece of themselves onto the tree- Pikachu a Light Ball, Sonic a Gold Ring, and Pac-Man a Power Pellet, for example- but Mario chose not to partake in that, albeit with a smile on his face.

He allowed all the others to go ahead of him, opting to make his move the final one. Once everyone else had contributed, Mario made his way towards the tree, where DK handed him the object in question. The crowd stirred lightly as excited whispers brushed through the gathering, but none were happier than Mario. A ladder had been placed in front of the tree, the plumber climbing up it gingerly until he reached the top. He stared at the bright object in his hand for a few fleeting seconds before placing it at the top of the tree where it belonged, which was followed by excited cheers and applause.

Mario could never, ever hate Christmas…certainly not while he was the one to put the star on the tree.

. . .

Donkey Kong and Diddy were quite the unusual pair when it came to the holidays. The Kong clan was never into things like this, but they always made sure not to ruin the fun times for others. Everyone could do their own thing, and they'd stick to theirs…probably eating bananas.

But Diddy often got curious- was there really any harm in participating in Christmas just once? This only occurred to him because he felt like he owed his uncle a gift, yet they'd never done anything of the sort before. Would DK be thrilled at the thought? Or perhaps go ape over the broken tradition?

Well, Diddy was willing to take the risk.

There was only one thing DK ever wanted, but it was incredibly hard to find at this time of year. Diddy asked as many people as he could for some help, but no one had offered him any concrete ideas. Diddy grabbed his red hat and threw it to the ground in frustration, and suddenly he was starting to get the feeling why the Kongs _usually_ didn't bother with the holiday.

After days of searching high and low and even getting involved in a back alley black market with Snake –who'd been lurking around ever since getting kicked out- Diddy managed to get his hands on the ideal present for DK. Due to being inexperienced with things like "tape" and "wrapping paper", Diddy had to swallow his pride and ask Mario for a little assistance…but he was tied up in ribbon at that moment in time, so Diddy took it upon himself to properly package the gift.

Once the tree had been put up and decorated, the presents had amassed in spades. Diddy waited a while before adding his, but when he headed down to do so, he found that all the presents had been big boxes and wrapped perfectly in shiny foil and lacey bows. His dinky present with crumpled wrapping paper tied with a string utterly paled in comparison, and he suddenly felt self-conscious about.

Nearly everyone else had been doing this for a long time, and for Diddy to just suddenly partake in the tradition with his meek contribution intimidated him a little. Not only was the wrapping more professional, but the gift quality was much higher- proven by the fact that someone had managed to smuggle a small car in the corner. DK would probably be disappointed by Diddy's less glamorous gift…

When gift-giving time came around, DK was waiting for Diddy, but he was nowhere to be found. As the gorilla quickly became surrounded by mountains of wrapping paper, his face lit up when Diddy finally arrived with something behind his back. The two quickly ran at each other, but paused hesitantly as if second thoughts had crossed their minds. Yet in the next moment, both of them produced crudely wrapped presents suspiciously shaped like bananas…and neither one of them could be happier, despite King Dedede insisting on walking by and taunting them for their horrid wrapping job.

But what the present looked like didn't matter. It was the thought that counted.

. . .

King Dedede and Christmas were in a love-hate relationship.

On the one hand, the king's greed skyrocketed to insurmountable levels during the festive season, as alluring thoughts of over-consumption overtook his mind as soon as it came around. Early presents under the tree would be swiped, and hours later Dedede could be found stretching out a sweater or inexplicably sporting expensive jewelry. Eating food with the guy was twice as bad, as he gave Kirby a run for his money with how quickly he'd inhale the massive spreads put on the table. Rarely did anyone else manage to smuggle even a crumb, and Dedede would waltz away, grabbing his belly and bellowing to himself as he strutted away.

He was infamous for that one time he tried to "steal Christmas", and he wasn't particularly known for being a Saint. Dedede couldn't help it- being mean and nasty came naturally to him, and during a time when everyone else was just oh so infinitely _happier_ than he was…he had to do something to level the playing field, that was all. Nothing personal.

And yet, as much as he loved ruining everything for everyone else, the portly king also found that he didn't entirely hate what the festive time was all about. Somehow, the music that filled the house didn't grate on his nerves as expected, nor did anything else overly cheer get to him. It was tolerable, and every once in a while Dedede would be tapping his foot to the rhythm of the whole building. Being an avid dancer, he was prone to picking up a tune.

But he never thought he'd be doing some icky-sticky _good deed_ during the holidays. Dedede had just been minding his own business counting the cash he'd stolen from Wario –hey, _Wario_ didn't exactly need it- when he bypassed the kids putting on some gear to go outside. Most of them were outfitted in parkas, scarves, and boots, but the Villager was lagging behind as he desperately searched for his hat. The poor boy tore up half the house looking for it, and the others had gone outside without him. The Villager was practically on the verge of tears at being left behind, giving up and starting to retreat to his room…until he came across a red hat placed on the table, with a note labeled "For Villager" on it.

Eagerly slapping it on his head and not questioning where it came from, the boy sprinted out the front door…

…while King Dedede headed back to his room to grab a spare hat. And maybe take a shower to get the warm fuzzy feeling off of him. And _certainly_ not before taking all of Peach's freshly baked Christmas cupcakes for himself.

. . .

Back in the town he came from, the Villager didn't exactly celebrate Christmas- he celebrated Toy Day instead! It was practically the same thing, but the principles behind it was different. As he was –technically- the mayor of his town, the Villager got to play Santa with Jingle the reindeer and give out presents to every member of the community. It was how he showed everyone that he cared, and their varying degrees of enthusiasm in return demonstrated how much they appreciated him.

Thus, the Villager wasn't entirely used to others giving _him_ gifts. Sure, a present from his mom and a few close friends were okay, but he'd already took inventory of what was currently under the tree, and six of the boxes were for him alone! His mind had been so geared toward giving that receiving was almost foreign. It nearly drove him mad- he had to _return_ these acts of kindness…!

Over the course of days, the Villager had been on a roll of doing good deeds for everyone who'd left him a present. He dusted Olimar's shelves, polished Mega Man's armor, and cleaned the training room for the Wii Fit Trainers. Feeling satisfied, the Villager went back to check under the tree…and found _four_ more presents for him. Normal people would have been thrilled at this finding, but to Villager, that only meant more debts to be repaid…! And he'd hardly bought presents for anyone else as it was!

The sentiments drove him into a silent panic, having no idea what to do. Very few understood just what was going through his head, merely drifting by and scoffing at the clear turmoil he was in. The Villager watched them all glide away like nothing was wrong…was this what Christmas was? Were you just supposed to receive and not feel obligated to repay?! But…wasn't that _against_ the meaning of Christmas too?

Evidently he was thinking just a _little_ too deeply into it, as he eventually flopped on the floor and curled into a fetal position. He stayed like that until Ness approached, swinging his yo-yo around with little care in the world. The psychic came across the Villager looking worse for wear, and managed to piece together what was wrong- after all, a few hours after Ness finished prepping his gift for the Villager, said villager had organized his sock drawer and alphabetized Ness' baseball cards.

"…hey, it's okay," Ness finally spoke up, leaning down and holding out a hand to the boy on the ground. The Villager stared at it for the longest time, not entirely understanding what it meant. "You don't have to fret about returning the favor to _everyone_, you know. I'm sure seeing you open your gifts with a wide smile is all they want…just like you would, if it were you giving the gift."

The Villager accepted Ness' hand and pulled himself back up on his feet, letting the words sink in as Ness carried on his way. It was…okay not to return the favor? Sometimes gratitude was just enough…? After giving it some thought, he understood. He suddenly remembered giving Isabelle a gift once, recalling how she'd been so overjoyed and promising to somehow repay him for it. He'd laughed and told her that since it was a special occasion that it was fine if she thought of herself for a little while…and here he was now, completely _not_ taking that advice.

Time to change that.

Thus, the Villager at long last smiled to himself, and relaxed for the first time in several days. And eventually, he came to find that a touch of selfishness was perfectly fine when you deserved it.

. . .

Ness was once seen as the leader of the younger sanction of Smashers, as he was the most experienced youth (_and _was slightly more reliable than Kirby). He hadn't asked for the position; it was ascribed to him whenever the "kids" wanted to hang around and do "kid" things…unless Sonic, Link, and/or Pit decided they counted as kids for the day. Then he wasn't in charge.

But he did like how it netted him a lot of friends.

Ness wasn't shy, but he wasn't outspoken, either. He held a mutual respect with everyone he came across, and for the longest time he mainly kept to himself because he was the only representative from his world. But when Lucas ended up joining the Brawl, he saw how quiet the other boy was, and he felt the need to step up and welcome him personally. The two had been inseparable ever since.

The psychic sighed as he stared solemnly out the window, mind drifting into memories of simpler times like the snow drifted by outside.

Eventually, through helping Lucas make some friends, Ness made some himself in Nana, Popo, and even Trainer Red. They became a tight knit group, and they hung out the most often out of everybody. Lucas was the thoughtful one, Nana was the most reasonable, Popo was mostly likely to crack a bad joke, Red would retaliate with quiet quips, and Ness was generally the one to keep them all glued together. Admittedly they reminded him of his friends from his adventuring days, and suddenly being in the Smash Stadium didn't feel as lonely.

Then the new tournament started, and _all_ of them had gotten kicked out.

Ness knew Red wasn't coming back when Charizard turned out to be a solo fighter, and rumors of Nana and Popo no longer being able to work as a pair served as the excuse for their departure. It had taken Ness _forever_ to get _his_ confirmation of return, and he initially thought it was because Lucas had already been accepted and was going to be the new representative of their world.

Turns out no one knew why Lucas had been kicked out. They hadn't even been lucky enough to say goodbye.

As Christmas was coming around again, Ness was lonelier than ever now that he was a solo rep once again. He remembered how last year, he and the group had spent the day out in the snow after tearing through their presents, then spent the night watching old holiday specials while sipping cocoa. A simple memory, but Ness cherished it just the same…and he doubted he'd have another with that group of friends ever again.

He masked his pain as he went about his days, showing everyone the bright optimistic boy that they expected him to be. He threw himself into the spirit of Christmas like everyone figured he should, and no one suspected that anything was wrong. His smile was forced the whole way through, and none batted an eye at it. Just because Ness was feeling cruddy during the holidays didn't mean he wanted anyone else to, so he kept his feelings hid and hoped that they'd go away…but he dearly missed his friends, and that just hurt too much.

One day, someone finally managed to see through his façade as he spent the day staring out the window. Ness felt a hand on his shoulder, and glanced behind him to find Samus staring down at him. She was a master of hiding what she really felt –er, most the time- so if anyone was to see right through his phony attitude, it was her.

"You've been holding it in for a long time, huh?" she asked quietly, unaware of _what_ he was holding in but knowing it weighed heavily on him. "…let it out. It's Christmas. Do yourself a favor, at least…"

As if he received some unknown permission that he hadn't known he'd needed, Ness picked himself up and dragged himself to his room with the thought that holidays weren't necessarily a happy time. Christmas was just as capable of bringing on bouts of sadness as it was ample happiness.

When he entered his room –outfitted for one- Ness stared blankly forward at the wall, the first sign of tears welling up in his puffy red eyes. Once he realized there was no keeping them in anymore, he flung himself onto his bed, thrust his face into the pillow, and let himself sob- something much, much overdue.

Even on Christmas, it was okay to let himself cry. Just a little.


	3. Orange

**~Orange~**

Samus wasn't never that approachable, even around the holidays, but she did try. Instead of scowling wherever someone greeted her too early, she instead acknowledged their existence with a wave. Instead of growing irritated at the incompetence of many people, she took a deep breath, gave them the benefit of the doubt, and carried on.

However, Samus couldn't forgive the mistletoe.

It was _everywhere_.

With the increase in female Smashers, the more or less deprived males decided that this was the perfect chance to finally get a Christmas smooch from someone who wasn't already taken…or Samus. Still, it was just really painful to watch.

Pit, Ganondorf, and at one point Ike tried to run into Palutena at the right time and place, while some of the outliers were targeting the female Wii Fit Trainer. Mysteriously Captain Falcon and Robin were _really _going after Lucina, while Lucina herself seemed fascinated by Dark Pit for whatever inexplicable reason. Rosalina wasn't nearly as sought out, but a few still tried. And somehow, even _Viridi_ had shown up on the prowl for Link-

But that wasn't the point. Samus was just sick of this needless Christmas romance. It was on the same level as Valentine's Day at this point! A Christmas tree goes up, and suddenly everyone was love starved! Did you _really _need some significant other to enjoy your holiday? You know, what if someone was perfectly content being by themselves? _Then_ having their holiday ruined by someone trying to weasel in on their personal space…? There had to be something wrong with that in _some_ way.

Samus wasn't completely anti-social; she liked having an intellectual conversation with anyone she could relate to. It was when it suddenly turned into a 20 Questions Dating Simulator did it start to grate on her nerves. Maybe if they weren't so obvious with their attempts she'd consider giving them the time of day…but was it truly too much to ask for some distance for Christmas? She wasn't Peach, who had Mario and sometimes Luigi waiting on her. She wasn't Zelda, who had a long history with her hero Link. She wasn't Palutena, a goddess who had twin angels at her side and who knew what other men?! Samus didn't _need _the attention. And she was content with that.

So as all the men scrambled around her trying to sort out their holiday love lives, Samus just smirked and sipped her drink out of her orange mug, happy enough not to be a part of it. The closest she came was when Captain Falcon briefly took his mind off Lucina and attempted a move on Samus- which was shot down, quite literally.

There was nothing wrong with being single for Christmas. Samus certainly didn't mind.

. . .

People somehow always pegged Captain Falcon as a romantic…which was strange, because he was frequently alone when he was at home, as he preferred to be a lone wolf. After winning his races, he tended to zip straight back home and practice some more…alone.

But on the other hand, it was true. He became a _bit _of a romanticist around the holidays, though he couldn't help it. That was how he got into the Christmas groove. He _was_ alone a lot at home, but at the stadium he was surrounded by plenty of friends, and an ever-growing number of ladies. He was infamous for leading the charge of the "mistletoe everywhere" campaign, which was still far more popular than Peach's "pink tree" idea.

But it wasn't really romance that he wanted- not necessarily, anyway.

The Smash Stadium was the only place where he could join a big gathering of people who all –mostly- reveled in the holiday, and Captain Falcon found that he rather liked that. The company of another was a precious thing that many took for granted, and the racer counted himself lucky that he was aware of its significance. Still, too much of a good thing could quickly turn bad, so if he managed to spent the time with just one person, that suited him just fine.

Ike was among the many that tried to get him to "slow his roll", but he really didn't need to be told that. He hated that his advances came off as too strong sometimes, or that he pushed a little too hard otherwise, but his fellow Smash Brethren really made it seem like he was some love-crazed imbecile…!

No, he just wanted someone to be next to for Christmas. Nothing more, nothing less.

. . .

Ike wasn't huge on holidays, but as the time was revered as one of family and friendship, he made sure to get his fill of that. Despite his new buffer appearance for the new tournament, he was still the same overall softy with a little edge he'd always been, and still cared greatly for his comrades. He gladly talked strategy with Robyn and her male counterpart from time to time, he showed Lucina a few maneuvers whenever she asked, but Ike above all else looked forward to his sparring matches with Marth. Just because it was the holidays didn't mean the battles had to end, and Ike wouldn't have it any other way.

To him, there was nothing more important than bonds made on the battlefield. Nothing brought you closer to another person than putting your life on the line right next to them, just as anyone else would bond over a snack on the couch. Granted, he was _against_ Marth in this battle, but worthy opponents earned their respect as well.

Ike definitely had the advantage in power, and many other things, but Marth was much more nimble and admittedly more experienced. Ike's slow and heavy swings only managed to connect a few times as Marth wove his way around the stage, going in for the attack whenever Ike revealed an opening. Something about Marth that impressed Ike was how he always kept his wits about him. He never got cocky when he was ahead, yet he never got discouraged when he lost, either.

At the moment, Marth _was _winning, and even after Ike had gone after the royal with a series of deadly sword slashes that caused billowing flames in their wake, Marth still managed to squeak out hardly scathed and knocked Ike to the ground, keeping him there with the outstretched Falchion.

Their bout was eventually interrupted by Fox, who was trying to tell them that it was someone else's turn on the stage. Ike frowned, but Marth released a spirited laugh, helped Ike from up off the ground, and assured the fellow swordsman that he'd emerge the victor next time.

Although it was demonstrated in rather unconventional ways, Ike didn't need Christmas to know who his friends were.

. . .

Fox was the absolute median when it came to Christmas. He wasn't overly crazy about it like so many others, but he wasn't detaching himself from it either. It came and went for him, and he didn't think twice about it otherwise. However, he couldn't help but flip through a few photos of the guys back home during this time, smiling a bit as he reminisced on the adventures they had together.

He wouldn't mind going home to celebrate.

Alas, as the latest tournament had _just _started, no one was going home anytime soon, so Fox knew he was going to have to buck up and make the most of it. He was emotional, but he wasn't a crier, so he kept a stiff upper lip and preoccupied himself by keeping busy with various Christmas activities. He became more animated than usual, pitching in on the decorating and even strapping on an orange apron and assisting Peach in the kitchen at one point. A few questioned his strange behavior, unable to simply dismiss it as "bitten by the holiday bug", but Fox never had a concrete answer. He just gave a smile and pretended like everything was normal.

Of course, this kept people talking, everyone being the secret gossipers they were. Some people suspected it was because he was deprived of such things as a child due to the loss of his father. Others speculated that Fox had some giant surprise planned for everyone, and he was just keeping quiet about it. When it got to the point that Fox had even offered to groom_ Charizard_, the suspicions exploded.

No matter what they thought, they were always wrong.

While he _was_ doing it all to get his mind off of going home, it certainly wasn't a very good reason to get into the Christmas spirit. For that, no special reason was needed, and he really wished everyone else understood that. All in all, he was content with the fact that he was fortunate enough to find something to smile about during the festive time. Not many could do that without a reason, and to think, that one person working to become so inexplicably happy was enough to get people spewing theories…

They were just jealous.

. . .

Charizard didn't care about Christmas, or any holiday really. Most Pokémon only participated in holidays when their trainers did, and as his trainer wasn't here anymore, he saw no reason to partake in the activities. He just wanted to be left alone and allowed to walk around in peace, without any interference of the holiday whatsoever.

Pikachu was his polar opposite however. He helped out whenever he could, nudged presents to see what was inside, and nuzzled into the lap of anyone lazing around the fire. Charizard suspected that this was only because Pikachu wanted to keep the traditions of his trainer alive, even though he could barely keep up with the demand. But bless his little heart, he certainly tried…

Charizard tried to stay away from the electric rat, as seeing him recreating Red's holiday antics was just too much. The Fire-type firmly believed that Pikachu shouldn't have been doing such- he hadn't needed Red's instruction for four tournaments now, and to only start missing him after he was there and gone was just an insult. Charizard believed that they needed to prove that they could get along just fine without him…and without the holidays.

...but it was everywhere! For Charizard, there was just no escape!

Everywhere the beast turned, the walls would be plastered with green plant things! Grating music was everywhere! The scent of foods he couldn't eat filled the air! Charizard couldn't even escape outside- the ground was covered with pesky white snow that he did NOT want to deal with. Reminded him too much of Mt. Silver…

Why was everyone going along with this ridiculousness?!

Lucario sensed Charizard's raging aura and tried to calmly explain how important the holiday was to everyone, but Charizard found no meaning in it, and therefore wanted nothing to do with it. He went stark-raving mad at one point, smashing gifts and burning down any flammable decorations. At the Pokémon's unexpected rampage, everyone had either attempted to stop him or fell into a mass panic. Mario quickly jumped to the rescue with FLUDD at his side, along with Greninja's water attacks, while Palutena pulled the Pokémon at fault aside and asked just _what_ his problem was…

It wasn't that he hated Christmas. It was that he hated Christmas without his trainer... The holiday had no meaning if he wasn't around for it.

Pity for Charizard was short-lived, but after being sent on his way, he received several hateful looks. It was to be expected, yet it soured his mood even more. Just when Charizard thought he'd hit his lowest point, the Duck Hunt Dog and his duck friend suddenly wandered up and nudged his leg. Animals knew when someone was hurting…and right then, Charizard was hurting a lot.

But Charizard found that maybe he could ease the pain by fixing what he broke…and so, he started getting back into the swing of things, repairing what decorations he could and apologizing to the best of his ability. As it was Christmas time, people were plenty forgiving, and Charizard was now really looking forward to making things right…

It's what Red would've wanted.

. . .

All of the Duck Hunt Dog's life, he'd done some questionable things. To this day he was still surprised that he'd been selected to, um, "smash"…but for a dog, he was pretty introspective, as he wondered if he truly deserved the spot.

Being man's best friend, it was only natural that he would assist his master and help him nab as many ducks as possible. He was a mischievous sort, taunting his master whenever there was a miss, but he was loyal too, always holding up their catches of the day by the necks once they'd been shot down. Back then, that was good thing; that was sign of pride and victory…

But now that he was a Smasher, the canine knew better.

Being paired with one of very birds he'd spent his whole life hunting down was a very bizarre thing, but the more they fought, the more he came to realize that ducks made better friends than foes. He wasn't sure if THAT particular duck was aware of his past as a duck hunter (if their fighter name wasn't a dead giveaway already), but the dog still felt obligated to make amends with his past, and what better way to get a fresh start than with Christmas?

It was too hard to buy a present, given that he was a DOG, so he decided to ask the duck himself what he should do. Their trio had been separated for the day, so the hound had to rely on old instincts and his sniffer to track down his avian friend. However, he began to grown uneasy when the scent brought him to the last place he wanted the duck to be…

...the kitchen.

Peach was nowhere in sight, but in her place was _Ganondorf_, sporting a "Kiss the Cook" apron and highly engaged in some recipe he was reading from. He had a plethora of vegetables arranged on the counter, and a pot of boiling water was simmering on the stove. Again, the canine thought it all smelled delicious, and yet none of it would reach his taste buds. Still, why had the duck's trail led him here…?

And then he knew.

A loud "quack" squawked out from Ganondorf's hand, and the dog realized with horror that Ganondorf planned to _cook_ the duck! Was he really going to go so far as to turn a fellow fighter into a main course for Christmas!?

Apparently so, as Ganondorf was_ seasoning_ the struggling duck before reaching for a very sharp knife.

Panicked, the dog charged immediately, bowling into Ganondorf's legs before he could grab the soon-to-be murder weapon. The warlock stumbled backward, the duck was tossed into the air, and the dog sprang up, catching the bird on his back where it belonged. The duck released a joyous cheer upon averting death, the dog scurrying around to avoid Ganondorf's angry lash outs. As the dog maneuvered his way out of the kitchen, he picked up on Ganondorf grunting something about "So much for his duck and rice dish", but the dog decided that it was best _not_ to turn back and investigate.

To think, the canine renowned for being one of the best duck hunters around…would end up saving the life of the species he once sought the deaths of.

He halted in the living room and braked in front of the fire, allowing the duck to catch his breath. The bird waddled around for a bit, coming to terms with what nearly had happened, and attempted to hug the dog, wrapping his wings as well as he could around the canine. Touched, the dog returned the gesture with a paw to the duck's back.

Whatever history they had didn't matter anymore. The Duck Hunt Dog found that simply giving his friendship was more than enough of a present, which was one that could be enjoyed year-round.

Pac-Man noticed them begin to nod off, so he skipped out of the room and returned with a pillow, draping it under the head of the dog. With the dog curled protectively around the duck basking in the warmth of the fireplace, and the duck nuzzled softly into the dog's orange fur, the duo contently fell asleep.


	4. Yellow

**~Yellow~**

When it came to Christmas, Pac-Man fell into the "indifferent" camp. His life consisted of eating pellets and running from ghosts in a maze, and rarely did he ever step beyond those boundaries. However, to prevent anyone from getting left out no matter what, every single Smasher was entitled to at least one present.

Pac-Man didn't know what he wanted.

Well, what did he _need_? Not much, really. He wasn't a big fan of anything specifically materialistic, which was what everyone was pressuring him about, yet no one seemed to understand that he required nothing. They assumed he was just being modest because he was a newcomer, but he _really_ wasn't. It wasn't a case of "what to get the guy who had everything", it was the problem of "what to give someone who didn't need anything". Two _entirely_ different scenarios.

The issue only made him wish he were a little more like some of the others- Mega Man and R.O.B. wanted some new spare parts, Sonic was satisfied with just a chili dog, Peach always approved of a new pink dress, and Pikachu wanted a visit from his trainer. It made Pac-Man feel like he shouldn't be happy; or that he should've wanted something while the opportunity was being presented. He twiddled his thumbs and wondered if anyone was ever going to completely understand.

At some point, it was allowed that everyone could open a single gift ahead of time, and Pac-Man decided just to get it over with. Not getting his hopes up, he selected a silver gift trimmed with yellow ribbon that had his name on it and pulled it close. While he wasn't aware of the sender, he supposed it didn't matter, and tore into it with as much enthusiasm as he could.

And once the box was open, Pac-Man burst into a huge smile, as he'd gotten _exactly_ what he'd wanted.

Absolutely nothing.

. . .

Pikachu normally wasn't this broken-hearted on Christmas.

The yellow Pokémon rather enjoyed his Christmas memories he made back home, especially the first time he was exposed to all its glory. Red hadn't been sure if Pikachu would take to the holiday, giving his original nature of being so obstinate about everything, but surprisingly Pikachu liked it a lot! He loved seeing the bright colors, he liked dancing to the festive themes, and he _really_ liked opening presents…even if they weren't his.

Spending Christmas away from home wasn't even a bad thing! The Smashers were so much fun to hang around with, as they knew how to bring about a real Christmas celebration! Pikachu adored how he got to be part of it, although he would never be able to tell too many others about it. But he was pretty expressive, so he was sure they got the idea.

They also got the idea that he wasn't feeling like himself this time around.

He knew he should've been happy -thrilled even- just to _be_ there. But how could he, knowing that his beloved trainer had been torn from the roster? Red was the best Pokémon Trainer the world had ever known…and suddenly he just wasn't good enough to be a Smash Brother? After just one tournament?!

"I told you once, I've told you a hundred times…he's _not_ coming back," Master Hand had clarified when Pikachu was whining outside the hand's door one day. "It's against the rules to swap battle styles in mid-combat now, so he had to go."

But not even a visit for _Christmas_…?

"No, because THEN that would get everyone's hopes up," Master Hand grumbled, as if he read Pikachu's mind. "Face it; you've gotten along without him in the past. You're just going to have to do it again. I'm sorry."

No he wasn't.

A depressed Pikachu was a very _useless_ Pikachu, as he merely lounged around in chairs or in the windowsills between meals and battles. Many tried anything they could to perk him up- even Wario, but that was only because Pikachu's depression was somehow inconvenient for him. Pikachu _did_ try to keep Red's idea of Christmas alive when people nudged him enough…but it just wasn't the same without him. It never would be again. What was the point of celebrating Christmas if it couldn't be spent with those you cared about the most?

Pikachu frowned as he glanced outside, where a full moon was hanging low in the sky. He wondered if Red was looking at it at the same time he was, from wherever he was right then. A small sniffle escaped Pikachu, before exhaustion over took him and he muffled something softly before drifting into a nap.

"…Pikapi…"

. . .

Wario freaking LOVED Christmas! It was the greatest time of the year! It was a time of giving (to himself)! A time of good will (towards himself)! Buying presents (for himself)! If anyone knew what the spirit of Christmas was, it was most certainly the ever fantastic and fabulous_ Wario_!

Why, there wasn't even a need to mention how much of a SAINT he turned into during the holiday.

Wario made many sacrifices during the holiday- MANY more than anyone else! He shortened his food portions _slightly,_ out of respect for those currently going hungry. He vowed to give away his unneeded items to charities (though he didn't have any). He saved the group from having to eat bad batches of cookies by hording it all for himself! How generous could one get, looking out for others like that? He was really taking one for the team, yes sir! Wario even generously donated his golden pipes to a caroling group and completely _dominated _that soprano solo.

Truly, no one could match the sheer amount of kindness Wario brought the table.

What made him the giddiest was how much profit he could rack up! He designed crude Christmas cards and sold them to poor unfortunate souls who couldn't afford anything better for Christmas, yet because they were desperate, Wario was able to jack the price up even higher. He also bought cheap little gifts from the dollar store and passed them off as name brands, telling people that he was selling them for less than what he bought them for- and surprisingly, it worked! Better yet was when he just so _happened_ to trip over a mall Santa's leg, and _accidentally _knock over the bucket of coins beside him.

Rest assured, the revered Wario didn't take any coins…just the paper bills.

Yes indeed, Wario always made sure he was the richest man on Christmas…because while others were wasting time hugging and sobbing over their short-lived happiness at the exchanging of gifts, Wario would get the last laugh the next day when he was counting his stash of yellow coins and boasting about his maintained wealth…while everyone else was straight up and completely broke. Ah, was it ever glorious. Only Christmas could bring around that feeling of triumph and accomplishment for the great and unparalleled Wario.

Someone needed to get to work on a carol telling of his festive exploits…perhaps he'd get Bowser on it. For free, of course.

. . .

Bowser, hands down, was the strangest villain to ever be.

He wanted all the cliché things villains wanted- the hero's girl, total control over others, unlimited power from the mystical object of the week…and yet that fool was a complete sucker for everything Christmas.

Of course, he put his own dark little spin on it, such as praising the receiving of coal from Santa and taking "decking the halls" as an excuse to punch people in the corridors, but he celebrated it just the same. His evil antics were at an all time low, earning disapproval from Ganondorf. He hung out with his foes like they were old friends, much to the distain of Dedede. He was even generous when given the opportunity, which simply _sickened_ Wario.

But he couldn't help it. Bowser was only bad in the cliché ways- anywhere else was free game! If he could go karting with Mario, why not celebrate the holidays with him?

Why shouldn't he revel in it? Peach was willing to get closer to him during Christmas, Mario and Luigi weren't kicking his tail, and fellow Smashers were treating him with the respect he deserved. As soon as Christmas passed, sure he'd be at everyone throat's again, but doing that _all_ year could really bring a person down. Plus, Bowser figured he worked hard enough kidnapping the princess once a week that he deserved a little winter vacation. Hey, why not a Christmas bonus while he was at it!?

If "good" people could hate Christmas, why couldn't "bad" people find something to love about it? For what little mind Bowser had, he was very open with it, and as long as he could always find some way to benefit from the holidays, he would always enjoy them. In fact, Bowser was so certain about his views of Christmas that he planned on spreading them to his son, so he could follow in his footsteps. Family traditions- hey, that was Christmassy too!

. . .

Bowser Junior, much like his father, was a curious case. It was no secret that Junior was a rotten spoiled little brat that demanded precisely what he wanted _when_ he wanted it and_ how_ he wanted it, and he _got_ it. He pulled nasty pranks on people, threw childish tantrums when he didn't get his way, and just made life a living horror for anyone who dared cross paths with him. Junior was nothing more than a walking talking pile of bad luck towards everyone.

But the strangest thing was, as much as he acted horrid, despised everyone and everything, and dragged around trouble wherever he went…Junior wasn't bad. He wasn't nice or good, but he wasn't exactly the demonic little thing that people always labeled him as. He did bad things because that's what his father wanted, and that's what earned him love and approval. Yet constant contact with Princess Peach, during all her kidnappings, had shown Junior that life didn't have to always be full of tormenting others…

Which only became more complicated when Junior entered the Stadium as a fighter.

His ability to battle was on par with many of the adults, if not surpassing most of them, but he was still among the younger ranks, and what churned Junior's stomach was that he was the only _bad _kid on the roster, leaving him with very few choices of people to interact with. Apparently he annoyed the adult villains, his fellow kids stayed very far away from him, and everyone else only bothered with Junior when needed. Bowser found himself preoccupied with a series of battles, so Junior didn't even have that…which made him mad and forced him to stomp his foot. With Christmas coming up, who the heck was he supposed to spend it with?! Only _losers_ were alone! And even _Luigi_ had managed to round up some friends in this cesspool of idiots!

He sourly dragged himself to the window and glowered outside, where Toon Link and the Villager were making snow angels while using Pit as a model, Ness and Sonic were shredding down the hills on snowboards, and Kirby and Mega Man were building a snowman. Every once in a while the different sanctions would interact and eventually burst out into laughter, and it only got more sickening when war was declared and they started happily throwing snow at each other. Junior secretly hoped someone would accidentally get a taste of yellow snow in the face…

…and yet, the happy scene made him burn because he wanted to join in on the fun, and he knew that they weren't going to let him just because he was _bad_.

It was kinda pitiful when you just wanted a friend for Christmas, and the odds of getting one were remarkably low.


	5. Green

**~Green~**

Luigi's vision of Christmas was a rather normal one…which, of course, meant that it was unobtainable.

A simple green Christmas tree, a single peaceful dinner, a calm opening of presents, and just a little harmony among everyone. Luigi never thought that was too much to ask, but being in the Smash Stadium seemed to completely nullify his hopes and dreams.

First off, the tree wasn't even green. Mario was forced to retrieve a _rainbow _one_,_ because no one could decide on a solid color and no one wanted to conform to the tradition of a green tree (Peach was pretty upset that it wasn't pink though). The lights were these round and frankly ugly bulbs that weren't even properly bright, but they were the only ones anyone could find. Everyone got to put on an ornament, and while Luigi liked the idea of representing everyone's worlds…some of the objects_ really_ clashed. The only thing that seemed remotely normal was the star Mario put on the top, but Luigi was probably biased because it was a Power Star, to be specific. He saw those all the time.

He knew he wouldn't be getting that peaceful dinner, either. There were faaaaaar too many big eaters in the house, and with Kirby and King Dedede's eye for gluttony and their inhale abilities, it was a rare treat when anyone could get a bite on a normal night with them around. The Christmas feast would probably be gone before it could be properly served!

A calm opening of presents? If only! The overly-eager kids were one thing, scrambling to be the first to nab what was theirs, but then you had selfish villains and self-righteous heroes battling over who received the better present, and everyone frankly had absolutely no tact when getting their gifts. Many cards died in the fray, Luigi knew firsthand…since he gave out most of them. And it didn't help when he looked behind him and found Yoshi _eating_ them. Digesting the meaning of the messages, maybe…?

In any case, it drove Luigi so crazy that he wanted to grab his hair and just yell…! Why bother? _Why bother_?!

…and yet…

The harmony though…as off the wall, zany, eccentric, and different everyone was…Luigi had to admit that a strange sort of…peace dawned on everyone during the holidays. You still had your occasional spats and shouts that "everyone hated each other" but…everyone still pitched in on decorating the tree. Everyone was always there for dinner table no matter what. Everyone was still present for the opening of, well, presents. Christmas was really the only time where everyone was in one place and enjoying it, which was all Luigi asked for to begin with.

Yeah, the holiday still wasn't anything quite like Luigi had planned…but honestly? It was better that way.

. . .

Yoshi liked fruit.

W-well, he like Christmas too, but the fruit…!

There was_ so_ much of it.

There were the red holly berries that adorned every green substance in the house (though Yoshi found very quickly that they weren't meant to be digested). There was the sweet, zingy oranges…though they were usually _chocolate_ oranges, but Yoshi wasn't picky. You name it; lemon ham, green lime drinks, blueberry pie, sugar plums, whatever…! If it was fruity, Yoshi was going to like it. Unless it was holly berries. Those didn't count. Bleh.

One of the best things about spending the holidays at the stadium was getting to sample food from all the different worlds. There was only so many different fruit back home on Yoshi's island, but here…? There was ALWAYS something new for Yoshi to get his taste buds on. The glorious flavors of Christmas, coming together as one in his mouth as they performed an eccentric dance of deliciousness-!

But the fruit.

Yoshi, of course, got into the spirit and shared his fruit when the opportunity arose, but no one appreciated the delicacy quite like he did. The holidays gave Yoshi a chance to step back and reflect on his love for produce; to appreciate how lucky he was to have the chance to sample such succulent treats…! Then promptly devour it whole in one gulp.

As he gnawed on a melon with Toon Link keeping him a little company, Yoshi thought about how he was such a simple individual. He was content with the holidays as long as fruit was present. Some would say he fell short on the true meaning of the event…but to the simple yet loveable little dinosaur, it just wasn't Christmas until someone brought out a fruit tray.

. . .

While he was very spirited on the outside, Toon Link was torrent of stress on the inside. He knew that, being a kid and all, people didn't expect anything high maintenance from him for Christmas. Normally he was known for making unique things out of whatever scraps he could gather up, but this year, he didn't think that'd be enough for the one person he wanted to leave an impact on…which happened to be his older, alternate self.

Toon Link was still one of the rather green fighters –no pun intended- and upon his arrival he was shocked to find, well _himself._ Link was one of the first to show him how things worked and welcomed him with open arms. They had a lot in common -naturally- but Toon Link eventually found one glaring difference between him and Link, and that was the fact that Link didn't really have any family back home. Toon Link at least had a grandma and sister waiting for him.

So, after tossing around a few ideas, Toon Link decided to show his appreciation for his older brother figure by getting him an awesome Christmas gift. A little reconnaissance followed, along with days filled with hiding behind plants, rolling across the floor, and plenty of stalking of the older swordsman. Link was a really boring person to follow though, and aside from fighting, the only thing that ever warranted extra attention from him was whenever he talked…to…Zelda…?

Hmm.

Pouring over his observations, Toon Link came to the conclusion that Link was definitely seeking out Zelda, yet as utterly charismatic as he was, he wasn't having much luck. Seeing as he had no better ideas- and he didn't want hours of stalking to go to waste- Toon Link decided to help the guy out.

Putting Captain Falcon's overly distributed mistletoe to good use and eliciting the help of Little Mac, Toon Link managed to make it so Link could finally get some time alone with Zelda. On a night when most of the other Smashers were doing some shopping, Toon Link had convinced Zelda to follow him down the stairs where everything was set up. Zelda agreed, being the understanding princess she was…although she wasn't expecting a candlelit dinner made by Palutena -a questionable choice- and surprisingly spot-on violin playing from Pit.

As Zelda suspiciously took a seat, Toon Link beamed in excitement as Little Mac entered with Link, who wore the same confused expression as the princess. One both were at the table, Little Mac winked at Toon Link and scurried away with Pit, while Palutena served her vegetable medley and twirled off as well. Link eventually demanded to know what was going on…so Toon Link strolled up and pointed at the mistletoe dangling above the table.

Zelda's hand flew to her face to cover her chuckling gasp while Link immediately turned a shade of crimson and stared down his younger counterpart. But before he could get a word out, Zelda had suddenly grabbed his collar from across the table and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Toon Link happily bounced on his heels with success, and as the embrace broke and Link returned to face his alternate self, Toon Link simply winked back. After receiving a nod from Link that said he would certainly return the kindness later, Toon Link walked away with his gift successfully delivered.

Because after all, what better gift is there than knowing someone cares about you a whole lot?

. . .

Little Mac was an oddity in the way that he tended to work Christmases. December was a surprisingly busy month for booking fights, and apparently there was some people in the worlds who celebrated by watching two people beat the stuffing out of each other. But after his festive fights, Doc Louis always made sure that there was a celebration waiting for Mac, as contrite as they tended to be. Even if training was right around the corner the next day, Mac appreciated the small break he was allowed. He liked his small, simple celebrations and wouldn't have it any other way.

But everything changed when Christmas at the Stadium attacked.

Everything was grandiose and over the top, _nothing_ was subtle, and Little Mac wasn't used to big extravaganzas. He mostly spent his time strapping on his boxing gloves and heading down to the training room to stay sharp. While the others were getting fat and jolly on sweets, at least he'd still be in top form! …which was what he _planned_, until he spontaneously found himself invited to a special 'Newcomer's Only' dinner party.

Now he was desperately trying to avoid conversation with the howling Bowser Junior, a really overzealous but equally awkward Shulk, a confused Mega Man trying to figure how to properly eat the food, Dark Pit complaining about the food quality (while eating it anyway), and even Robin and Robyn were fighting over a specific spot at the table. Situations exactly like this were what Mac was trying to avoid, but he couldn't bail- everyone would know he was missing.

As he tried to hurriedly eat his dinner so he could make his escape without appearing rude, he abruptly felt a tap on his shoulder, only to find Goddess Palutena giggling at him from behind her other hand. He gave her a look back; she only laughed harder.

"When you eat like that…you remind me of Pit," she smirked, a chuckle placed between each word. Mac frowned in disapproval as now he was self-conscious and had to slow his eating pace. But with the Villager staring at him from across the table, his drive to leave increased ten-fold…which only led to him finding Palutena snickering at him again.

"What now?" Mac scoffed, raising an eyebrow in the goddess' direction. Palutena lost it again and once more resorted to poorly stifled laughter.

"S-sorry, but with the way you keep scowling, I can't help but think your face is going to freeze…"

Mac yet again made _another_ face at this, cuing more attentive looks from Shulk, Robin, and Pac-Man, which was followed by snickers. This caught the attention of Rosalina, Robyn, Mega Man, and Junior, who also took one look and joined the merriment. Even the Duck Hunt Dog and his cohorts were cackling! Normally, this would've brought on a visit from Giga Mac, but before he could fester up enough anger, he caught a reflection of himself in the bowl of punch situated in front of him…and discovered that his face actually did look pretty funny.

Palutena inappropriately snorted, and suddenly the whole table was rattling with a fit of giggles. As it was a very contagious thing, a twitchy smirk grew on Little Mac's face that eventually festered into a toothy grin. Before he knew it, he had erupted into heavy uncontrollable chortles, and was suddenly feeling a whole lot better about being in the group. At some point during his episode, he threw a glance at Palutena, who gave him a knowing wink as she rose to take care of her dishes.

. . .

Palutena, ever revered Goddess of Light, never actually celebrated Christmas, but she was more than familiar with it. The exchanging of gifts, the process of everyone simply being together, selfless acts...she found that she liked it a lot. It opened her eyes to the fact that she took Pit for granted a little too often, so she decided to take advantage of the good spirits and see if she couldn't do something a little nice for him in return. As happiness for Pit came in the form of a hot spring or through his stomach…she went with the latter idea.

After winning the kitchen over from Peach, Palutena wondered what she should bake for the angel, until Zelda swooped in –having wanted a turn in the kitchen for ages- and offered up her assistance. Palutena welcomed the help, and eventually the princess selected a recipe for Angel Food Cake. From there, they got straight to work. Eggs, batter, vanilla, pans, and measuring cups of various different shapes and sizes flew across the kitchen as goddess and princess tossed them about to each other. Zelda would fetch the ingredients and Palutena would put them together in the proper quantities. Palutena twirled about and grabbed the cake pan, although she was incredibly sloppy in pouring in the batter. It splattered everywhere, eventually prompting Zelda to take hold of the bowl and do it herself. Palutena just laughed nervously as Zelda popped it into the oven…and Zelda then was whacked in the back.

"What the-?!"

Palutena tossed a suspicious bag of flour in her hand, grinning dangerously at the princess. Zelda abruptly gained a very similar expression as she reached for some sugar, splaying it all over the goddess. With that alone, it was a declaration of war…and Peach wasn't going to be very happy about the state of the kitchen afterwards, that was for sure.

Later on, the angelic 'ding' of the timer going off ended said war, and with some strange doughy substance in her green hair, Palutena glided over to the oven and popped out the cake. Upon seeing its golden perfection, Palutena beamed at the thought of Pit being absolutely delighted upon being presented with the holiday surprise. Once Palutena slid the cake onto the finest plate she could find and Zelda garnished the cake with a bit of fruit and cream, the creation was finished. The two then decided they needed a picture and ran off to get a camera…which was when Falco of all people strolled in, glanced at the fresh cake, and proceeded to cut himself a slice.

When the girls came back, Falco was contorted on the floor with a half eaten wedge of cake in his mouth, looking like he wasn't going to last much longer.

Palutena gasped at the display as Zelda immediately deduced what had happened, but out of curiosity she took some of the cake herself…and nearly ended up in the same state. Grabbing her throat, she turned to Palutena with her eyes ready to fall out of her head.

"_How _did it end up burnt AND raw?!"

"Well…" Palutena scratched her neck. "The last meal I made_ did_ end up rather…revolting."

Zelda gave Palutena one last frantic look before joining Falco on the ground. The goddess stared at them for the longest time before her gaze fell on the "abomination" cake she'd brought into existence. Approaching slowly, she plucked off a small part, chewed it thoroughly, and merely shrugged.

"Well..._I_ like it!"


	6. Blue

**~Blue~**

It really was an accident.

Falco was engaged in a small argument with Dark Pit when the female pink-shirted Villager happened by at the _wrong_ place and time. Things were said that sent everyone into a unanimous shock, and even Dark Pit was impressed that Falco had let such sensitive info slip. And now the female Villager no longer believed in Santa, complimented by a torrent of tears…and Falco didn't care.

The pilot received nasty looks for the rest of the day; stares of scorn and disapproval that admittedly didn't sit well with him, but he didn't understand the big deal! Needless to say, Falco found many aspects of Christmas pointless. It was supposed to be full of good will and cheer, and yet people got mad when blatant lies were exposed? The time of celebration was flanderized so often it wasn't recognizable anymore!

Of course, no matter how many times he explained that, someone was still mad that he'd ruined Christmas for someone else.

Okay, okay. He'd admit he was a little out of line, and that he probably shouldn't have said those things, but it's not like he intended to ruin everything for her. He might've been rough around the edges and wasn't willing to put up with nonsense, but he'd never go out of his way to purposefully ruin Christmas for someone else. Only problem was, everyone hated him at the moment and he didn't know how to fix things.

As he contemplatively wandered through the stadium, he eventually came across Mega Man, but as soon as the robot caught sight of Falco he ran the opposite way.

"Hey, no, wait-!"

Mega Man froze out of instinct, and ended up turning slowly to face the potential danger that was Falco. Falco recoiled at the robot's hesitance, but shook it off and jammed his hands in his pockets.

"Ergh, sorry…I just need a second opinion on something, that's all."

Mega Man frowned and asked what _sort_ of second opinion, with Falco explaining that he felt he should patch things up with the Villager, make things right…and _fine_, get everyone off his back. Mega Man was reluctant, but was unable to turn down someone in need.

"Falco, at the very least you should apologize. Trying to do anything without doing _that_ is simply pointless, if I'm blunt."

Apologize…? Oh boy.

The robot boy marched away, leaving Falco to head to the girl's room alone. He abruptly knocked on her door, hoping to get it over with…until she opened the door with her face streaked with tears and an expression drained of Christmas cheer. Even Falco's heart snapped a little upon seeing her, but he steeled himself and knelt down to her level. She wiped her eyes and hid slightly behind the door, not really wanting to see him at the moment.

"Look, kid…I'm sorry you had to hear all that-"

"N-no, it's fine…guess I had to learn sometime."

Falco grimaced; immediately he knew he had a choice to make. Either stick to his guns and deliver a harsh reality...or restore the magic of the holiday for a little girl.

Looking her in the eye, he went on to explain that Santa wasn't necessarily a person- he could be no one and everyone at the same time. He was the spirit of belief that_ came_ with Christmas, he was a personification of the magic that accompanied children as they ran out of their beds and greeted the presents downstairs, and he was that good feeling when someone did something kind for another. Santa thrived through belief, and gave everyone the power to do some otherwise impossible things…

So while Santa may not have been a real person…Santa most certainly did exist.

Excited by this new perspective, the Villager pulled Falco into a hug –he grumbled disdainfully- and flung back into her room, preparing to get back into the spirit. With her feeling festive once more, Falco stood back up, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his beak.

"The lengths I go to for people…"

As Falco murmured to himself, he happened to glance up and catch Mega Man around the corner, giving Falco a thumbs up and a smile.

. . .

Why was everyone so into the aspect of giving gifts?!

…is what Mega Man wanted to know.

Admittedly, he wouldn't mind a few things himself- he'd had his eye on some new parts, after all. But he wasn't endlessly going on about it either! He'd need another hand to count the times he was forced to listen to Fox "drop hints" about wanting new blasters, and Pit wasn't subtle on his wishes to fly. Don't even get him started on what _Wario _desired… Point was, everywhere he turned, _someone_ was prattling about what they wanted for Christmas. Books. Food. Games. More food. Material _things_. When it got to the point that Dedede was swiping early packages and even Diddy was wrapping things up and sticking them under the tree, Mega Man had to figure out what was so important about it.

Of course he was aware that trading gifts was a huge tradition, but the way people talked seemed to take the surprise out of it. Ranting for weeks about what you wanted on a specific day then getting precisely what you want on that very day? Where was the fun, the intrigue, the inquisitive joy of wondering what was wrapped beneath the shiny foil and ribbons…?

Was instant gratification that much better than the simple joy in receiving? Mega Man couldn't help but contemplate.

He was currently in the kitchen sitting at the table, poking at an apple before Yoshi happened by and lapped it up in a single bite. As Mega Man made a face, the female Wii Fit Trainer arrived and took a seat next to the blue bomber.

"Hey what's going on, Mega? Don't you have that match with Pac-Man?"

"It's not until tonight," Mega Man explained, now drumming his fingers on the table. "I was just sitting here to clear my head."

"That's not like you, being all by yourself. What's got you wondering?"

"I dunno, I've just been hearing a lot of talk that has me pondering, that's all." His eyes blipped as they glanced to the Wii Fit Trainer. "…do you think a person always getting exactly what they want ruins the idea of the holiday?"

The trainer paused for a moment, taking the time to mull over it.

"Well, if you ask me, even if people are a little particular about what they want, I'm sure they're still in for a few surprises Christmas morning," she hummed. "They can open their gifts and get _exactly _what they ask for, but I highly doubt it'll be so black and white. They might end up getting something they hadn't known they wanted, or find out that what they wanted isn't necessarily what they need…"

Mega Man huffed and put his chin on the table. "If only everyone thought like that…"

"It's not a total crime, you know," the trainer laughted. "Everyone can get a little overexcited at the prospect of receiving something. It's remembering to be grateful that's the important part."

She noticed Mega Man still a little down, so she patted his shoulder and tried to give him an encouraging smile.

"You just wait and see. I guarantee someone will be very surprised on Christmas…and if you're worried that there won't be…"

The trainer rose from her chair and put her hands on her hips, winking at Mega Man.

"…then _you_ be the one to give the surprise."

As she walked away to continue about her day, Mega Man remained poised in his seat pondering the conversation.

_He_ should be the one to give the surprise…?

Hmm...

. . .

The Wii Fit Trainer adored the holidays, but it also included what was the year's greatest challenge…

…staying in shape during Christmas.

She took her profession very, very seriously after all. Health and fitness never took a break, and she tried spreading her teachings to the likes of Wario, Dedede, and Bowser…but all of them proceeded to remain as hefty as they were so they could indulge in any treats that came their way.

And oh, how much she wanted to join them.

It was against her code of conduct to do such a thing, even if it was the holidays. Walking by the kitchen became an obstacle course, weaving around the pies cooling off on the counters and dodging the platters of free samples being waved about. Dinners were horrendous– while Kirby and Dedede eliminated temptations, she felt very self conscious enough of her well-balanced portions on her plate…whereas nearly everyone else simply took large scoops of whatever was close to them and chowed down. It was a chore remembering to pace herself.

Apparently Sonic had been noticing her strange behavior, as he followed her into the training room one day with something suspicious behind his back. The trainer tried to ignore his impatient foot tapping as she stretched…but then she realized he was harboring a chocolate bar.

Her one weakness…!

"Sonic, what do you want?" she asked firmly, becoming increasingly nervous. Sonic shrugged coyly as he eyed her carefully.

"…just wanted to ask about your aversion to sweets. Out of everyone, you're the only one that acts like it's a plague."

The trainer bit her lip and turned away again. "S-so? I'm just avoiding any unneeded calories! What's wrong with that?

"Nothing; I actually respect your dedication," Sonic shrugged, breaking what remained of the chocolate in two. "But if there's one thing you've proven in battle so far, it's that you have the strength to keep your focus."

He held out one half to her, donning a smile.

"So if you treat yourself even just _once_, it's not like you'll go crazy with it. You're too strong for that. Give yourself a Christmas gift, m'kay?"

After spending several agonizing seconds mulling over it, Wii Fit Trainer snagged the chocolate and bit into it, with Sonic smirking as her expression melted into pure joy. Once she finished it off, she actually felt a little better, and proceeded to thank Sonic.

"No problem!" he exclaimed, suddenly bouncing on his heels. "…now, how's about getting in a workout through a fight with me? I _kinda_ made this bet with Samus…?"

"Sure thing," she replied confidently. "…but I hope you've got another chocolate bar for me after I win!"

"Heh heh, _bring it on_."

. . .

As much as he managed to grate on the nerves of his fellow fighters, people tended to forget that Sonic wasn't really that bad of a guy. He joked around and liked to tease, but he always had everyone's back, even if he didn't know them that well…as proven when he saved them all from Tabuu.

Granted, he noticed that he was becoming a touch…overbearing lately. No one came forward and said anything, but Sonic could tell from people's reactions alone that they were getting a little sick of him. Rosalina had suggested that maybe everyone was just weary from prepping for Christmas, but the hedgehog knew better than that. Those looks were _specifically_ reserved for him, and he wanted to make up for it…

So overnight, Sonic became a month-long Secret Santa. Every night, he'd stay up just a little later than everyone else, and once he was sure all of them were fast asleep, he would dart through the rooms, drop off a gift, and vanish without leaving a sound or a trace. People found it curious when Peach woke up with a new cookbook, Pac-Man some pretzels, and Robin a fresh tome, but it quickly turned into anticipation over who would be visited by the anonymous "Secret Santa" next.

Sonic was really getting into it too. Seeing everyone a little happier the next morning than they were the previous day made him feel like he was doing something right, and while they hadn't known it was him, moods improved and he was treated a little better as a result. By day, he worked at being less annoying, and by night, he left surprises for a select few who appeared to need a little cheer for the following day.

Everyone always woke up in the morning anxious to see who had been visited and what had been received. It almost became like a game, people tossing around friendly accusations –except Ganondorf, who threatened death if anyone tried to leave him a toaster again- and trying to figure out the source of the gifts. No one seemed to notice that Sonic was among the few that was never visited, but that was okay- Sonic really didn't want the recognition.

So the deliveries carried on, and one by one, each Smasher found themselves with something that had added a little spark to their lives. Ganondorf even grew to appreciate his toaster…but even after the weeks passed and it neared Christmas, no one ever truly figured out who the source of all that mysterious kindness was.

The night the last present was delivered –a brand spanking new set of baseballs for Ness- Sonic was so exhausted from his nightly romps that he couldn't even make it to his room. He had crashed on the couch in the living room, yawning with satisfaction at all he'd accomplished, and fell asleep without even thinking about it. He snored softly in his sleep as Rosalina happened to drift in, only awake to fetch some Star Bits for her hungry Luma. After seeing Sonic on the couch, she immediately knew why, and couldn't resist a small smile. She fluffed a pillow and put it under his head, then draped a blanket over his sleeping form just like a mother would. She properly departed after thanking him for everything…and for the silver headband he'd given her a few days ago.

Sonic smiled subconsciously, almost as if he'd heard her thanks.

. . .

Rosalina had…mixed feelings about Christmas. They weren't_ bad_, mind you. It just gave her a feeling that she'd…forgotten something. There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity whenever she started enjoying all that the holiday had to offer.

It was as if she'd experienced these things before.

She wandered the halls with an empty expression as she sipped her apricot tea, a strange mix of emotions stirring within her as she watched all she passed by. There was something about witnessing Marth and Lucina bonding over cookies and cocoa, Mario and Luigi watching a holiday special together, and Link and Zelda's budding romance that made her feel like she was missing…_something_…

But suddenly Kirby tugged on her dress and held up a red book, he and a few others wanting a story before curfew. Oddly it had no title, but it still appeared to be some sort of storybook.

Donning a small motherly smile, Rosalina accepted the book and drifted off into the living room, where she was greeted to Mega Man, Toon Link, and the Villager already waiting. Seeing how eager they were, Rosalina took a seat in the single rocking chair, where the quartet quickly scooted closer. Cracking the tome open and turning to the first page, Rosalina began to read.

"Many years ago, there was a little girl, like many others in the world, who absolutely loved the joy of Christmas…"

The story drifted into a soft yet elegant tale of a child's time spent with her family on Christmas. Rosalina read a few snippets about how the girl built gingerbread houses with her father, sang heartfelt carols with her mother, and indulged on candy canes with her younger brother. The group was already enthralled by the heartwarming story, and it _must've_ been good, because the likes of Ness ended up stopping by to hear some, followed stunningly enough by Sonic, Fox, and a few other curious adults. The smile on Rosalina's face grew and she continued on.

She read how about how happy the girl was during the holidays, and how the warmth of her family love was as roasting as the open fire. The more she read, the more she found herself enjoying the story herself. However, that lingering curiosity from before was back in full swing, but she hoped that reading more would take her mind off of it.

But the story came to a fine classic happy ending with the girl and her brother opening their presents on Christmas morning, and their parents sharing a festive kiss under the mistletoe. Everyone listening gave out a collective "awww" –which made Rosalina smirk with bemusement considering the majority of them were male- but evidently that was where the story met its definitive end. Feeling satisfied with the tale, everyone slowly began to drift off, whether to bed or to elsewhere, but Rosalina remained in the chair, reflecting on what she had read. Why…why did the story make her feel so empty?

In her confusion, the book ended up sliding off her lap and onto the floor, where it partly opened to a page Rosalina hadn't seen before. Scooping it up, she flipped through these strange extra pages, until the smile on her face melted into a deeply concerned frown.

"Where…where did Kirby get this?" she breathed to anyone that happened to still be lingering around. The only one left was Kirby himself, snuggling into the couch for a nap. "Where did this book come from?!"

Kirby jolted and immediately scratched his head. "Ah, um…I got it from Meta Knight. He found it at the bottom of our closet and didn't want it, so he gave it to me. Why?"

Rosalina fled the room immediately, taking off the down the hall with the book clutched to her chest. When she entered her room, she cast the book onto her bed and used her wand to flip carefully through its pages, going over what she'd read to everyone…and then, everything that she _hadn't_.

In the back, there was a tale of the first Christmas the girl had to spend without her mother, followed by a chapter on the brother and father being alone for Christmas after the girl mysteriously vanished one day. The tears welled in her eyes as everything started to make sense again…

The strange familiar feelings, the sense of longing, the confusion…

She'd forgotten her own memories of Christmas back at home with her family, so many years ago…and that bizarre book had brought it all back. It hit too close to home.

Decomposing to the ground in sobs, Rosalina cried silently but surely, and while no one else could hear it, her yellow Luma certainly did. He couldn't stand seeing his Mama very sad on the floor, so he floated over and tried to hug her with his little stubby arms. Rosalina felt the gesture, wiped away her tears, then pulled the star close for a proper hug.

"There's no need to cry when I'm around, Mama. You've _always_ got someone," Luma said innocently. Rosalina nodded, smiling through her sadness at the truth of his words.

"I know, little one. And thank you…"


	7. Indigo

**~Indigo~**

The rooms of colors and light did little to break through the dark shroud that surrounded Meta Knight. He carried about his winter days while the rest of the house marched onward with their insistence of celebration. He marched against the grain in that aspect. From what he had seen, Christmas had far migrated from what it was originally intended to be. It's once well-meaning and innocent nature had been slowly skewered with every year that passed, and eventually there came a time where Meta Knight couldn't keep up with it. Things had become too warped for his liking and thus, he indefinitely detached from the celebration.

While the fact that people like Wario and Dedede were taking advantage of the good will of the holiday sickened him, what truly bothered him was that there violation of the sanctity of the holiday at all to begin with. He felt like he was the only one who remembered what it was all about as he witnessed his brethren fussing about decorations, worrying about food quality, and discussing what they wanted. The only other fighter who seemed aware of the less desirable aspects of the holiday was Greninja, but the Pokémon strictly stayed out of affairs even more than Meta Knight.

Meta Knight supposed there wasn't much he could do to revert Christmas back to its simpler times, where it didn't matter how many presents there were, or how big of a Christmas dinner there was…what happened to simply being thankful for what they all DID have? There was no need to get upset over what you didn't have…as long as you had what you needed was the important thing.

Meta Knight would never celebrate Christmas again…until the year came when everyone understood precisely how lucky they were.

. . .

Being a Pokémon, Greninja chose to keep out of the limelight of the holidays. He was already elusive enough as it was, but for Christmas Greninja was extra observant, studying everyone to truly get a feel for what this celebration was like. A few snippets of conversation between Peach and Zelda had revealed that it was supposedly about selfless acts of kindness, so Greninja set out to see if that was true.

He only ended up really disappointed.

Too often he found people working out of self-interest, taking advantage of the holiday to serve their own nefarious devices. A usual suspect was Wario, who only ever lifted a finger if there was something in it for him, and Greninja hated seeing so many fall right into his traps. Then there was Ganondorf, who at one point suspiciously offered to cook a 'special' dinner one night, until Greninja overheard the Duck Hunt trio's third member explaining that Ganondorf had stolen aforementioned duck and tried roasting it.

But what truly bothered Greninja was seeing other people acting selfish.

Kirby and Dedede were mild examples with how they horded the food during meals, and the Villager HAD been concerned about being _too_ selfish until Ness of all people had talked him out of it. Jigglypuff turned into a glutton for attention, and no one even knew what was up with Fox…

Maybe Greninja wasn't seeing the big picture, or he was opening his eyes to what others had turned away from.

As he balanced on one foot and meditated in the silence of his room, he figured that if he could witness even just one fully selfless act of kindness, Greninja would have a little faith restored in the holiday. The thought plagued him as his stomach suddenly growled, disturbing the silence- huh, somehow he skipped a meal. Not that there was ever much to eat thanks to the gluttons of Dreamland…

He planned to maintain his focus through the hunger until his roommate Lucario waltzed in, checking over his shoulder before carefully shutting the door behind him. Greninja cautiously opened an eye to observe the aura user's behavior, which turned out to be a really good idea when Lucario decided to throw something at him. Greninja's hand flew up and snatched it, then studied the object…and found that it was a chocolate Poké Puff, wrapped in indigo foil.

"Zelda actually made them, and I managed to get one before Pikachu and Kirby nabbed them all," Lucario explained telepathically with a small smile, taking to the ground and falling into a meditative state. Greninja blinked curiously, wondering why Lucario didn't eat it for himself.

"You were missed at dinner, so I figured you could use the nourishment. I have no need for it myself."

Greninja was still for a moment, but eventually thanked Lucario and ate the Poke Puff. Even chewing couldn't hide the relieved smile on his face.

. . .

Lucario just wanted a little peace for Christmas.

It wasn't something you could wrap up and put under the tree by any means, but to Lucario, it was definitely something tangible. Being able to see and manipulate aura, he could perceive several different shades of how people were handling the holidays. And not everything was pleasant.

The fight with Dark Pit and Falco over Christmas had…inadvertently started a riot. Mr. Game and Watch had stepped in to mediate, only for Bowser to escalate things further with his "own take" in everything. More people got involved than necessary, and it resulted in the unfortunate destruction of the decorations Robyn had been setting up in the manor.

And even _more_ fighting followed.

Lucario found himself alone a lot during this time, as the stress that radiated from Mario and the depressed demeanor Ness gave off prevented him from properly clearing his mind. Eventually all the high-strung feelings that the holiday gave birth to would subside, and things could go back to normal. Lucario certainly respected their traditions, but more so if they did them _right_…

Today he was relaxing in the courtyard, trying to take in the serene view of the snowy landscape presented before him. At least here he could think clearly without Bowser Junior throwing a tantrum over cookies.

"Is Christmas…_always_ like this?"

Glancing over his shoulder, he found Lucina wrapped up in her cape walking towards him, appearing rather thoughtful. Lucario shrugged and shifted his position on the bench, making a bit of room for her. She gracefully took a seat, and though she smiled, Lucario knew she was feeling just as glum as he was.

"It's not normally this bad. Tensions just get high, that's all. It will be over soon."

"I've been…missing my father lately, so I've been trying to find a way to enjoy this holiday without his presence," Lucina explained. "I'm not having much luck though. It feels like everyone's either busy or...in a bad mood."

"You're welcome to stay with me while I meditate. I understand how frustrating things can get when they escalate."

"Yes," Lucina sighed. "Robyn's very upset about her decorations…they looked really nice before Olimar's Pikmin got all tangled up in them."

"Mmm, I agree."

Silence fell between them for a short time after that, until a thought occurred to Lucina.

"Lucario, what does Christmas mean to you?"

This caught Lucario off guard, as he'd been so busy pushing himself _away_ from Christmas that he'd never even begun to consider what good could come out of it…was there anything? Anything he missed? Yes he'd been miffed by the behavior of the others…but they were still people he respected. Some he even dared to call his friends.

"…second chances," he finally responded psychically, with Lucina perking up. "Even if people reach their worst, I feel that if there was ever a time to forgive and move on, it would be now."

"Hmm, I see the wisdom in that," Lucina agreed, rising back to her feet and giving Lucario a smile. "Then I suppose under the same logic, I shouldn't give up my search for a way to celebrate. Even ambitions need a second chance too."

Lucario smiled and folded his paws into his lap. "A very mature decision of you, Princess."

Lucina beamed and bid Lucario farewell for the moment, sweeping back inside with renewed vigor. Lucario stayed outside a while longer to come to terms with his thoughts. Sure, the worst of times definitely got to him…but if he couldn't accept the bad times, why should he deserve the best?

When Lucario finally went back inside, he was very pleased to see that mostly everyone had pitched in to fix Robyn's decorations, and tensions had lowered significantly.

The aura in the stadium had improved considerably.

. . .

It had been business as usual for Marth, with attending fights, greeting his friends, and getting in some training. He liked the perks of wintertime –the cocoa, warm clothes, sitting by the fireplace- but didn't usually go out of his way to do anything big. He mostly kept to himself, but was willing to spend time with those who asked, like Ike who wanted a friendly fight.

Or Lucina, who needed attention.

Where Lucina had come from, even celebrating a birthday was a risky thing, for dropping one's guard just once could mean an ambush by Risen. So Christmas and any other holiday were simply wishful thinking…but not here in the stadium.

The Exalted Princess was thrilled to give the festivities a shot, and while she was a little bummed that her father and family wouldn't be able to properly celebrate with her, eventually a light bulb lit up in her mind. When she approached Marth asking if he'd show her some aspects of Christmas, Marth had been more than happy to agree, as after his fight with Ike, his schedule was pretty free. He figured Lucina merely wanted to be shown the ropes of the holiday, as Robyn was still putting together some festive surprise while Robin was booked with fights.

She seemed suspiciously over excited when he agreed, however.

Marth wasn't wholly certain on what she wanted to see, but she apparently had a few ideas in mind. Marth found himself talked into building a snowman, going on a professional sleigh ride, and borrowing the kitchen from Peach to make their own confectionery. In the end, their snowman was lumpy and lopsided, the sleigh ride was expensive, and their cookies were slightly burned (though better than Palutena's "cake"), but Lucina's smile had been so exceedingly bright that Marth couldn't help but empathize.

After receiving a blanket from Zelda, Lucina sat by the fireplace to warm up, accompanied by Marth's special brand of cocoa. She had thanked Marth for the day out and promptly left, but…Marth figured there was still something more. Once he found her, he sat in a nearby chair and watched her quietly, wondering what was on her mind until he finally engaged in conversation.

"So…why did you want to do all of that today?" he finally asked, sipping his brew. Lucina's gaze remained on the fire as she replied.

"I just wanted to make some good first Christmas memories, that's all."

"Perhaps, but you seemed much happier than you have been in a while, and I feel that it has something to do with me in particular. Any specific reason for that?"

Only the sound of the cracking fire had responded. Lucina shifted on the floor, suddenly finding her indigo mug really interesting.

"Neither tactician…has told you yet?"

"No." Marth's voice deepened with concern, wondering what she and the tacticians were hiding. "Is this something I should know?"

Lucina bit her lip and turned away, not sure how Marth would take the news. "…I'm your descendant from a displaced future. I wanted to spend this holiday with my family, as appears to be customary…but I didn't realize…you were unaware…"

Marth blinked and studied Lucina; she did have a striking resemblance to him, and fought similarly to him –almost a little too much so- but he never would've guessed she was a relative, as far down the family tree as she was.

"I see…I suppose I'm like your great grandfather, then?"

"Y-Yes, although that would be a lot of greats." Lucina smiled a bit, appreciating his stab at lightening the mood, but became melancholic. "My actual grandfather…he died suddenly after my aunt had just turned ten, and my father –in the timeline I originate from- was killed in battle by the one closest to him…"

"We share similar pasts, then," Marth stated slowly, as if this was something he hadn't thought about in a while. "My own father…he, too, was killed by a supposed ally. Strange how the strings of fate work…"

"…sort of like invisible ties," Lucina whispered quietly. "B-but anyway, my point is that this holiday has made me reexamine my circumstances…we have such precious little time to spend with our loved ones, and putting in the effort to do so shouldn't only be once a year. But since I'm away from the family I have now-"

"I guess I'm the next best thing," Marth remarked with a bemused smile. Lucina instantly went rigid and waved her hands.

"Ah, n-no! Hero-King, don't sell yourself so short! I only meant that I didn't know…how you would take to me referring to you as my-"

"It's not like I could deny it, even if I wanted to," Marth chuckled calmly. "You have the brand of the Exalt, and you wield the Falchion. If anything, I should be ashamed that I hadn't noticed sooner."

Lucina eventually stood back up, the blanket sliding off her shoulders as she approached Marth.

"Thank you…" she trailed, pulling him into a hug. Marth returned it, although surprised at the sudden gratitude.

"What…are you thanking me for?"

Lucina pulled out of the hug and beamed back at him.

"For giving me the start to a perfect first Christmas."


	8. Purple

**~Purple~**

Zelda would be lying if she said she didn't like the traditions that came with Christmas, but as much as she indulged in the simple pleasures, she always found herself intrigued by the snow as it neared the holiday. She'd been told on many occasions that Christmas snow was far more majestic than any other winter snow, and here in the Stadium was where she fully got to enjoy it.

"Come on!" Link exclaimed, practically dragging her outside. "It's not _quite _holiday snow, but it's still fresh!"

Link knew that Zelda never got to see snow very often, but as there was a fresh fall from the night before, he assumed it'd be the perfect chance to partake in some frosty activities. He tried egging her on into joining the snowball fight that was happening, but she simply lifted a hand and told him she'd catch up. As he trudged off, she bent down and scooped a little snow in her glove, taking the time to appreciate how lucky she was to see it. She knew people complained about the white stuff quite often, but she always had a subtle fascination with it. The way it gave a little spark to bare trees, the way it drifted in the wind, the endless possibilities it offered in the way of entertainment…

Zelda couldn't help but be fascinated.

"It's an under appreciated beauty, you know."

The voice hadn't been spoken, rather communicated by thought, and Zelda eventually found Mewtwo of all fighters admiring the snow alongside her. He was twirling a bit of it in the air with his powers, studying it with slight amusement. His stare was focused and unwavering, and yet to Zelda, it wasn't the least bit intimidating.

"Humans take such nature for granted much too often…the cold may be bothersome, but it allows time for things to become pure again. The trees may be bare, but they're making room for a new beginning. It's a time to reflect on things…which is something few realize."

He turned to Zelda, and the smallest hint of a smile crossed his otherwise serious face. It was such a small gesture, but Zelda found herself smiling too.

"I assumed that out of everyone here, you would be the one to appreciate such wisdom the most."

Zelda glanced down at the little ball of snow in her hands before returning her gaze to the Pokémon and nodding.

"I do. I don't have many opportunities to see snow myself, so I try to make the most of it."

Mewtwo nodded respectfully. "Not taking it for granted, I see. Nice to see there's still some faith in humanity after all."

"There's always faith," Zelda pointed out, blowing the small pile of snow out of her hand and letting the flakes drift along the frosty breeze. "It's not the most obvious thing, but when it truly counts, people from all walks of life can come together as one. Christmas is a time that more than proves this correct."

"…your words give me something to contemplate," Mewtwo mused, turning heel and gliding his way back into the building. "I won't keep you from your merriment, Princess. Thank you for the conversation."

Before Zelda could say anything back to him, he was already gone, and Link was calling over to her to get her to join in on the snowball fight. She beamed for a moment and promised to join him…but first, she spread her arms out and fell back in the snow, laughing to herself as she made a snow angel. A few who'd been headed to enter the fight saw how much simple fun Zelda was having and sprang over to join her. After being pelted by a snowball, Link made his way over too, falling next to Zelda and making an angel of his own.

"Aren't you cold just lying in the snow like this?" he asked, tilting his head towards Zelda. Zelda glanced back and gave him a coy grin.

"It's just a little snow; nothing to worry about," she chuckled. "…besides, I'm never cold when I'm with you."

They shared a moment on the ground before being assailed by snowballs, pulling them back into the brewing battle that was heating up. And while Zelda was one who did appreciate snow itself…when it offered a perfect setting for a snowball fight, she was smart enough to know not to turn it down.

. . .

Mewtwo wasn't half as hostile as people made him out to be- but of course, if you provoked him you wouldn't be seeing the sun shine for a while. Overall, if you left Mewtwo be, he wouldn't mess with you either. To his continued strange surprise though, while people weren't messing with him per se, as soon as December hit, people had become much more…approachable.

He'd received gifts, cookies, and hugs at various points, and whenever he passed by anyone, his existence would be acknowledged with a festive greeting. He'd just simply raise a hand back; Mewtwo wasn't entirely adjusted to the customs, and he figured it'd take a while before he truly found out.

But it was strange- the more people pulled him into their traditions bit by bit, the more he found himself wishing to partake in it. Something small to begin with; something to work as a lead in without diving in head first…but he didn't know how to start. Pokémon generally didn't celebrate any holidays as it was, so finding an angle was probably harder for him than it needed to be. People didn't go fleeing in the other direction when he approached, but boy he wished they didn't recoil at his presence. So much for the Christmas spirit…

His luck seemed to change one day while he was thinking up a concrete plan. Robyn had drifted in from outside, looking somewhat perplexed as she stared at a mound of lights in her hands. However, upon coming across Mewtwo, her eyes lit up.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry to bother you, but I could use a quick hand…"

Mewtwo glanced over his shoulder curiously. "Hmm? What is it that you require of me?"

"Well, you see, I was really into decorating for the holidays, but my decorations were ruined in an argument," she explained, making a face. "While most of them were fixed, it didn't quite feel the same…so I'm working on a new project!"

"…and that would be?"

"It's a surprise," Robyn insisted with a wink. "…but it's also a little high of a reach so I figured I'd ask someone psychic to help. However, I don't think Ness is at his best and you didn't appear busy-"

"Hrm," Mewtwo suddenly grunted, cutting off Robyn's explanation. Assisting in putting up decorations seemed so menial and lacked merit…but what if this was just the thing he needed to ease himself into the spirit of the holiday? There was no way to know until he tried…and here was Robyn, offering him this opportunity like a Christmas miracle.

Predictable by _all_ accounts, but he wouldn't complain.

After seeing that Mewtwo was ridiculously lost in thought, Robyn gulped and started backing away. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked; you're clearly preoccupied. I'd just better-"

"Stop," Mewtwo ordered, turning to face Robyn. She recoiled immediately, fearing attack, but was pleasantly surprised to see him _not_ scowling at her. "…I'll help."

. . .

One of the hardest things to deal with was a gender bent version of yourself, but Robin seemed to handle it pretty well, and Christmas was no exception…except, he was in the middle of a snowball fight that had lasted well into the evening and he really could've used Robyn's tactical prowess to finally net a victory. He himself had joined the fray to take his mind off of things, but the fact that he hadn't seen his counterpart all day was starting to get to him now.

"Grah…where IS she?!"

"Robin, we're going to need another strategy fast…!" Shulk exclaimed, using the Monado to deflect some stray snowballs before being knocked in the head. Robin cringed and tried to come up with an alternate plan, but their foes were relentless. Shulk mentioned previously that their future wasn't looking too bright, yet Robin was determined to tip the scales.

He just needed _Robyn_ to do so…!

As he stirred quietly in his frustration at being unable to come up with something, he noticed that someone was walking along the roof of the Smash Stadium…which was not only exceedingly dangerous, but who in their right mind would even think of doing that? Surely it was too early for this "Santa" he'd been hearing about-?!

"Hey, guys!" Robyn shouted from across the yard, getting the attention of everyone currently outside. At the sound of her voice, Robin smacked his forehead while the others were immediately drawn in by her voice. "You're all going to love what I've done with the place…!"

"Uh, what exactly did she do-?"

Robin looked on in stunned horror as Robyn leapt off the top of the roof, using Elwind to soften her landing. On the ground, she scooped up two extension cords and plugged them together, and before anyone could even stop her…they found that they wouldn't have if they could.

One by one, little lights that bordered the edge of the stadium came to life, ranging from pinks and reds all the way to a glorious purple. There was nothing overly ostentatious about it, and yet it was glorious enough to really stand out against the darkened sky and make the whole building into a beacon of Christmas spirit. Even Ganondorf was begrudgingly impressed by the display, but his intrigue ended when Shulk nailed him with a snowball.

"Since my decorations on the inside were destroyed, I'd figured I decorate the outside while you were all busy," Robyn huffed proudly, hands on her hips. "What do you all think?"

The collective gasp of awe and eruption of cheers at he fantastic display were more than enough of an answer, but it wasn't until Robin walked up to her with a coy look on his face did she become exicited. She removed her hood and beamed at her counterpart.

"So, what's your opinion?"

"…I really like it," Robin stated, folding his arms. "You've truly outdone yourself…I don't think even I could've done this!"

"I'm…_pretty _sure you could," Robyn chuckled as she winked. "But thanks; ever since learning about the holidays, the decorating aspect really resonated with me…and that's how I wanted to spread my Christmas magic."

"And you really came through, too," Robin nodded, impressed. His counterpart then said she needed a way to relax after working hard all day, and a devious smile crept onto Robin's face. He scooped a snowball into his hand and gestured over to the still raging snowball war; he wanted to show Robyn just what his Christmas contribution was…

With a knowing look and equally coy smirk, Robyn packed a snowball of her own, and the duo ran off to rejoin the fray. As the lights of the stadium shone own on them, and content laughter and shouts filled the air, no one could picture a better end to the day…except for the tacticians, as together they ended the battle in a checkmate in their favor.


	9. Black

**~Black~**

Ganondorf was a man who stuck to his beliefs and fought for what he always did, and no silly holiday was going to simply snap him like some useless twig. You could put up a tree, bake a cake, put a wreath of his door, do what you will…! He was the King of Evil, and he wasn't going to change as fast as you flip a calendar. He still preferred to isolate himself from everyone unless it was in battle…and yet he was still nagged to find something about the holiday he liked.

Well he wasn't going to_ find_ anything.

As Ganondorf stewed in a silent temperate fury in front of the fire –turned purple thanks to his magic- he noticed Mr. Game and Watch stumble through the door and out into the yard. Intrigued the slightest bit, Ganondorf rose to the window to get a glimpse of what was going down outside. Evidently, nearly the whole stadium had clambered outside and amassed in what appeared to be…a snowball fight?

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow as he watched hordes of heroes shouting at the top of their lungs, appearing to be engaged in a battle to the death. A horrid little spat that involved everyone throwing clumps of snow at each other and causing pain whenever they struck another fight. A jerky smirk did grow on Ganondorf's face when Sonic pelted Link in the face and sent the swordsman to the ground.

But to his surprise King Dedede, Bowser, and Junior had joined in on the merriment, with Junior shouting foul cries of revenge and Bowser specifically targeting Mario. Dedede announced that he was "gonna get that Kirby" but said Kirby simply inhaled the snowballs and gained his Ice Ability.

Still, the prospect of nailing rivals with an orb of ice was a bit of a tempting offer…

As it appeared that the villains were slowly becoming outmatched (and it didn't help that Wario had managed to sell some snowballs to Mr. Game and Watch) the Smashers on the other side were outrageously stunned to see Ganondorf suddenly rise over the wall of the villain's fort, two snowballs perched in his hands that abruptly burst into flames.

"Who's in the spirit now?!"

As everyone ran off screaming to get away from Ganondorf's flaming purple snowballs, the Dark Lord was having a grand old time hurling them at everyone, letting out deep bellows of laughter with every Smasher that fell beneath his might.

Perhaps he'd find a way to be festive after all.

. . .

One of the most puzzling things to Mr. Game and Watch was how Christmas worked. Well, specifically the illusive "naughty" and "nice" list. It had been explained to him that people who were incessantly "naughty" throughout their days were placed on a list that guaranteed them coal for Christmas…but those who were always "nice" were showered with gifts and goodies galore.

Problem was, Mr. Game and Watch didn't understand the difference.

He simply went about his life without ever thinking about the consequences of his actions, and without wondering why he did what he did. He just did what he needed to when he needed to, and some would claim he was a little too mellow in this aspect…and he probably was. Regardless, now that he was aware of the existences of these so-called lists, he wanted to know which one he ended up on. He hoped it was the good one, but how was he supposed to know if he'd been bad…?

Mr. Game and Watch decided to ask around.

"Being bad is doing things that make other people unhappy," Peach had attempted to explain, although she'd been scratching her head. "Being good…is _keeping_ people happy, I think."

"Being bad means letting no one tell you what to do!" Wario had laughed heartily. "Being good means you have no spine and letting people walk all over you, which is no way to be at all!"

"Be kind to others, help out when you can, and please don't be rude," Zelda had sighed with a head-shake. "Don't cause trouble for others, and try not to kidnap princesses…!"

"Strive for a new world order!" shouted Junior, pumping a fist into the air. "Letting people tell you what to do is bogus! Make up your own mind!"

Needless to say, none of that really helped.

Mr. Game and Watch was on the verge of giving up figuring out what his alignment was and decided to wait and see what happened on Christmas, until someone saw him walk by and barked out in rather harrowing laughter.

"You've _so_ been asking the wrong people."

The 2D man jumped upon hearing the dark angel's voice, turning to find him leisurely lounging in a chair. Dark Pit was tapping his foot to some unseen beat in his head before turning to him and frowning.

"If I were you, I wouldn't waste time worrying about being 'good' or being 'bad'. You'll get something on Christmas regardless, won't you?"

Mr. Game and Watch tilted his head curiously at this; that's not why he wanted to know what list he was on…

"If you try too hard to be good, you'll end up doing something bad. If you think you're bad, no one's ever going to see you as good. Facts of life," the angel huffed. "You should be like me and not_ care_. Don't let this dumb holiday force you to choose one thing over another."

He stood up and whirled to face Mr. Game and Watch, not looking the least bit friendly as he handed out his "advice".

"…why do you want to be labeled like that, anyway? You should count yourself lucky that you're not stamped with an alignment; automatically seen one way or another without people knowing the truth."

Dark Pit splayed out his black-feathered wings as he sashayed off, tossing a hand over his shoulder as he waltzed away.

"Be lucky that you can just be yourself without any consequence."

Mr. Game and Watch stared forward with an unsettled air about him as Dark Pit's words sank in; they certainly were different from what everyone else had been saying, and while he felt weird in agreeing with those words, he'd be kidding himself if he said he _wanted_ to pick one way over another.

Maybe he could have his Christmas without being naughty or nice. He'd be willing to try.

. . .

It was no secret that Dark Pit was reasonably tolerant towards Christmas; he had a completely neutral perspective on it. He wasn't throwing himself into it like Peach and Fox were, he wasn't putting his own spin on it like Bowser and Wario, and he wasn't holding it in contempt like Meta Knight and Greninja. He treated the season like any it was any other time, and only discussing it when the topic was brought up to him. It was the results of these "discussions" that ended up…interesting.

Such antics had launched him into an argument over the existence of Santa with Falco, which ended in unintended disaster concerning the female Villager and led to the destruction of Robyn's original decorations. He talked bad about the food the veterans had been kind enough to prepare for the newcomers, nitpicking every little thing. He even shredded the delicate "Naughty versus Nice" debate with Mr. Game and Watch without even thinking…!

And now, on Christmas Eve, he was gone.

Pit was the one who volunteered to search; a trail that eventually landed him outside and following a trail of footprints. He found the dark angel alone, sitting up in a bare tree watching the waning sunlight. When Dark Pit heard snow crunching below, he turned to acknowledge who it was, only to scowl once he found out.

"Pittoo-"

"Don't _call_ me that."

Pit frowned and tried to coax his twin down from the tree, attempting to lure him back inside with promises of cocoa, Rosalina's stories, and basking in the glory that was Robyn's decorations. Pit went on to say that they also needed to head to bed soon in order to see if they got what they wanted for Christmas-

"I already know I didn't."

"…what?"

Dark Pit hooked his legs around the branch and fell backwards, letting himself dangle. His face was expressionless, but it was painstakingly obvious he was feeling something.

"…tell me why I should look forward to a gift tomorrow when what I want can't be wrapped up and placed under that tree?"

"But…what is it you want that you won't get?"

Dark Pit grimaced and raised an eyebrow at Pit. "You already know."

Pit turned away as Dark Pit flipped off the tree and dismounted onto the ground. He strolled up to Pit not looking the least bit happy.

"I came outside to get _away_ from the reminder that Christmas is tomorrow…but of course _you'd _show up."

"Well yeah," Pit huffed. "You seriously shouldn't be out here in the cold wallowing about tom-"

A look of stark realization crossed Pit's features; Dark Pit's scowl deepened.

"That's why you've been overly pessimistic about everything lately- you're upset because _you_ don't want to be disappointed tomorrow!"

"Wait, _what_?" Dark Pit hissed, clenching his fist and approaching Pit but the white angel already knew the truth. "How_ dare_ you even say that-!"

"Pittoo, you have no reason to be disappointed! Even if you don't get what you want, there are so many other things to be happy about!" Pit explained with far too much pep. Dark Pit just folded his arms and locked his red gaze on the snow.

"Huh, that's a lot of tall talk from you. Are you trying to tell me that you'll be happy no matter what happens tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Pit insisted. "I mean…I _might_ be bummed if I don't get what I want, but there's always still the chance I _will_-!"

Dark Pit groaned and hung his head, prompting Pit to ask what the matter was _now_.

"…your naiveté and obliviousness cripple you," Dark Pit murmured. "Reason with yourself. Think about how realistic the things that you want are, and come to terms with the fact that it might not be possible to receive them. You're not bracing yourself for disappointment."

Pit looked absolutely wounded as his enthusiasm deflated. "Why do you have to crush my hope like that? That's not very Christmassy…"

A hand found its way to Dark Pit's forehead; there was no way he'd ever explain this properly, so he stepped directly in front of Pit, looked him in the eye, and jabbed his chest to deliver his point.

"You can't always get what you want, Pit. Sorry I have to be the one to tell you that."

The dark angel then whisked himself back into the stadium to do whatnot…all before Pit had a chance to figure out what he meant.

* * *

><p><strong>Why yes, that IS a cliffhanger! Dark Pit's is vague on purpose; context will make more sense after reading Pit's part...in the last chapter! <strong>


	10. White

**~White~**

"My Christmas wish is to fly!"

It went without saying that's what Pit had told everyone all month, flitting through the stadium with that solely being his Christmas wish. Palutena explained many times that the likelihood of him getting something like that was…_low_, but Pit still strolled around like Santa was the best discovery ever. A man in a red suit bringing your Christmas desires? Why hadn't he thought of this before?! Pit wasn't sure how Santa was going to wrap "flight" or "better wings" in a box and stash it under the tree, but Pit was willing to believe in the miracle.

"Gonna fly, gonna fly, gonna sooooooar on Christmas moooooorn!"

Naturally, when the angel took to singing about it, it drew concerns.

"Palutena," they would say to the goddess, shaking their heads. "You HAVE to tell him that he's not going to be able to fly."

"Palutena," they would say, grabbing their hair and looking crazed. "Please, make him stop…!"

"Palutena," they would say, dropping and practically begging. "Do you really want to see him so disappointed…?"

No one had the heart to tell him the truth -_especially _not after the incident with the female villager- but no one wanted to see him crushed on Christmas morning either.

Palutena really hated to destroy his enthusiasm, knowing firsthand how much flying by himself meant to him. Dark Pit was fully aware that the very topic was a sensitive subject too, and although he handled the reality of not flying differently, not even he wanted to confront Pit about it.

"You should ask for flight from Santa too, Pittoo," Pit once chimed weeks ago as he circled his dark counterpart. "Then maybe that sourpuss attitude of yours would finally disappear!"

Dark Pit had held his tongue then, but as it was Christmas Eve now and Pit was still dangerously hyped, Palutena had to step in. After Pit returned from being outside, Palutena wearily took a deep breath and approached Pit carefully, sitting him on the couch as she worked up the proper words to explain the situation.

"Listen Pit, I know what you've got your heart set on for Christmas, but…" Palutena hesitated, biting her thumb. "…just in case, I don't want you getting your hopes too high. Many people don't always get what they want for Christmas, and I want you to be prepared for if that happens."

"…that's what Dark Pit said too."

Pit had paused for the moment, causing Palutena to cringe.

"He told me that people can't always get what they want, and if _he_ thought it, that means I already realized that in the back of my mind. I was just eager because I knew there was a small possibility I could, and I wanted to believe in that…"

Palutena sagged dejectedly, frowning at the angel. "Oh, Pit…"

The angel gave her a small smile as he stood up again, discretely wiping away the smallest signs of tears. "H-hey, even if I don't get to fly, at least I know there's someone else out there getting a gift that they deserve. …Even if _I_ don't get to fly, I know that for at least a day, someone else will feel like they _can_ fly with how happy they are."

"Oh, that was full-on provolone _cheesy_-"

Pit pouted and folded his arms, blushing from embarrassment. "Yeah, well, it's true…"

"I know, and I'm proud of you for it," Palutena chuckled, ruffling his hair. He firmly nodded at Palutena before flouncing away, once again singing of future exploits of flight. Shaking her head, Palutena caught sight of Olimar out of the corner of her eye. She beckoned him over, whispered something in his ear, and the astronaut eventually nodded.

"I'll see what I can do."

. . .

"What's Christmas about, exactly?" Alph had asked Olimar one day, as both of them were tending to their Pikmin. "We…don't have anything like this on Koppai, especially not with the famine we had."

"Ah, Hocotate doesn't either," Olimar mused, feeding a red Pikmin some nectar. "But from the time I've spent here, I've come to understand and few things about it."

He stood up and beckoned the blue astronaut to follow him. Scrambling to his feet, Alph did so obediently, wondering where they were going. But Olimar just waltzed down the halls full of Robyn's restored decorations, taking all the small things in with stride. Eventually he glanced down at the smaller astronaut and began explaining.

On one side of the spectrum, Olimar elaborated that the date of Christmas marked the birth of a certain religious leader. He wasn't positive if it was correct or not, but he wasn't one to judge beliefs either, and it did appear that was how the origins of the day came to be. But also, there were the stories of how Santa Claus, a man by many names, infiltrated the homes of the nice, leaving presents for them as he traveled around in a single night. Little children across the lands stayed tucked in their beds awaiting the arrival of the man in red…or so he was told.

And even yet, there were those who forwent the teachings of old or popular tales, seeing Christmas in a radically different light. For those, it was a time of commercialism, advertising, sales, and taking advantage of the masses' desire to buy gifts and capitalizing on the popular nature of Christmas' figureheads. It wasn't necessarily _evil_, but it certainly was a deviation from what most expected…

"They're so…different," Alph mused, pondering it all quietly. "How'd it all become like that?"

"That, I do not know. Ideas evolve, traditions shift and change, and perspectives can take drastic turns when given enough time…" Olimar put a hand to his chin and smiled bemusedly. "But hey, there is one thing all aspects of Christmas thrive on, you know, and it's the very same thing that brings us all together no matter _how_ we celebrate Christmas."

"Oh?" Alph blinked curiously. "What's that?"

"Belief."

**. . .**

All R.O.B. wanted for this Christmas was not to be forgotten.

As he flitted about making sure everything was kept in check, he certainly made a few observations. Everyone was so…engaged with one another. Not once had anyone been painstakingly alone.

He literally stood on the sidelines and watched Sonic, Pac-Man, and Mega Man pull a Christmas prank on Mario. He was a bystander to Robin's attempts to maintain some order, Kirby and Pit's overzealous natures, and Peach, Palutena, and Zelda's fights in the kitchen. Ness and Pikachu mulled at the table, but Samus stepped in and gave them reassuring pats on the back.

R.O.B. was just left on the outside to look in.

He was certain that they all hadn't overlooked him on purpose- Christmas was a time that brought out desires to show the most important people in their lives how much they cared, and anyone who wasn't in that particular circle was unfortunately overlooked. Like R.O.B.

He knew he wasn't like the others; he had no one left that was like _him,_ and he also had no home to return to…

"R.O.B.," called Master Hand, having sensed what was going through the robot's processor as he approached. "You are not alone."

R.O.B. wanted to believe that, but here he was, eyeing the tree decorated with ornaments gathered from so many different worlds…yet what had his contribution represented? Only _him_. As his head sunk sadly, Master Hand inched closer to comfort him.

"You're a Smash Brother, and as long as that title adorns you, you'll never be alone. You're among brothers and various sisters…and while they may be caught up in the season, you won't be forgotten among them. I know it must be hard, still adjusting from losing your home and your family…" Master Hand took a deep breath. "…but we're your family now, even if it doesn't always appear that way. When Christmas comes, I guarantee that you'll know that for sure."

R.O.B. processed this, nodding slowly as he faced his superior. "…thank you. I believe I needed that."

Master Hand returned the sentiment before drifting away to stop Wario and Falco's fight over fruitcake. R.O.B. watched him leave, then returned to staring at the Christmas tree; a visual reminder of how everyone indeed came together as one. Not just for the holiday, but as a family, even if others were adamant in claiming otherwise…

Even if he wasn't always on everyone's mind, R.O.B. still mattered, and this Christmas _would _more than prove that true.

. . .

"CHRISTMAS!" shouted Pit at the top of his lungs the next day, charging down the stairs with Alph, Toon Link, and the female Villager at his heels. They were followed by less enthusiastic Smashers, but once they got a whiff of Peach's breakfast buffet, everyone was alert. As the princess set up the table, Palutena glided about and passed out silverware, bursting out laughing when Yoshi immediately ate all the fruit. Rosalina giggled too while feeding Luma starbits, which Pac-Man mistook as power pellets and ate some himself. Also at the table was Wii Fit Trainer, engaged in conversation with an enthusiastic Captain Falcon. She was nibbling carefully on a muffin…while feeding a few scraps of bacon to the patiently waiting Duck Hunt Dog and his cohort.

Meanwhile, Samus was angrily eyeing a piece of mistletoe hanging above, yanking it down and staring at it contemptuously. She suddenly felt something press against her cheek, and whipping around revealed that it'd apparently been Sonic to make the move, as he was currently high-fiving Little Mac. Blushing and furious, having forgotten about their bet, she powered up into her suit and gave chase on the hedgehog, with DK and Diddy going wild afterwards. They rushed passed Wario and King Dedede making off with the still unopened presents, only for them to be promptly stopped by Shulk and Meta Knight. Thrilled beyond belief, Kirby glomped Meta Knight, with the revered warrior only shaking his head bemusedly.

Greninja and Mewtwo were quietly observing all of the madness, taking particular interest in Jigglypuff swiping the stockings of those who fell asleep after her latest performance...at least, until Lucario made her put them back. As that was happening, Junior pouted by the tree, taking one of his presents and grimacing when he came across coal. As Junior pondered this quietly, Bowser walked over and placed a knowing hand on his shoulder. The Koopa Prince couldn't help but crack a smile at this, continuing to tear into his gifts like any other child.

Ness eventually came down the stairs, barely a ghost of an expression etched on his face. He glanced depressingly at an obviously happy Link and Zelda (with Toon Link on Link's shoulders), but sighed deeply when he found Pikachu and Charizard huddled together by the window. Knowing that they were having it tougher than he was, Ness walked over and put his arm around both, assuring them –and himself- that it would all eventually be okay. Encouraged, Pikachu dove head first into his slew of presents, while Charizard assisted in passing them out.

Lucina was also on board with opening presents, and giddily passed one to Marth. Curious, the swordsman opened it and found himself saddled with the ugliest sweater known to man, and he had to gulp down his disgust to get a look of joy and a hug from Lucina. However, Marth felt infinitely better when Ike strolled into the room with a sweater also from Lucina, although his "new physique" couldn't _quite_ squeeze into the sleeves. This sent Fox and Falco into hysterics, while Mario dressed as Santa fell down the chimney with an extra load of presents.

As _everyone_ dove into the gifts, Pit emerged from the crowd with a jet-pack from Olimar, and immediately started flying around the room with palpable joy. After taking a few laps, he passed it off to Dark Pit for a turn. Dark Pit was surprised at the kindness, but wasted no time in going for a spin himself. However, the dark angel knocked into a bypassing Ganondorf, pushing him onto Mr. Game and Watch, with Alph sending out his Pikmin to assist. R.O.B. watched the display with a bit of sadness, once again thinking of his fallen robotic brethren, until he was pleasantly surprised when Mega Man approached with a gift for him as well, letting him know that he certainly wasn't forgotten.

Luigi was very content with what he was seeing as he passed around cups of cocoa to those who weren't engaged in destroying wrapping paper, while Robin tried to propose a much more methodical approach to the gift opening. His cries fell on deaf ears, especially when Robyn managed to get her hands on another series of lights and plugged them all in, which caused the once simple tree to glow so brightly that it could be seen from space. Before the whole stadium was forced to go without power, Master Hand himself unplugged Robyn's addition, with the female tactician smiling sheepishly.

Removing himself from the chaos, Master Hand sighed with satisfaction as his fighters all scrambled around, enjoying the holidays in their own ways- even Crazy Hand was getting into it, despite screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" at everyone. But if anyone had asked Master Hand what Christmas was all about, he'd definitely have to say it was whatever they could make of it. The answers were as variegated as the colors of the rainbow, and pinning down a single definition was impossible. Every view of Christmas was the correct view to _somebody_.

So if you were to ask Master Hand what the true meaning of Christmas was…_this_ is precisely what he'd say.

"Well…that's for you to decide."


End file.
